Improbable
by LaFemmeQuiRit
Summary: A distress signal from a space station on the edge of the Neutral Zone sends Kirk and his crew racing to assist, plunging them into a massive conspiracy and introducing Kirk to a woman who convinces him that maybe he can have what his parents once had.
1. Chapter 1

**IMPROBABLE**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, except for the ones I created. Thank you, Mr. Roddenberry and J.J. Abrams, for giving us these characters and for re-imagining them.

Authors' Note: I absolutely loved the Spock/Uhura romance in the new film, but all I could think about was the fact that I hoped in this universe, Kirk didn't end up alone like he did in the Prime Universe. Yes, the Enterprise was his lady, but he's a good man and he deserves the love of a good woman.

**CHAPTER ONE**

Jim Kirk had made a monumental effort, for most of his life, to avoid any form of introspection whenever possible. He found it humorous – his own private joke – that so many people assumed he never took the time to consider the past or present before acting, when in fact it was the intense effort to not think about those very things that consumed so much of his mind. Even as a child he recognized his own natural tendency to become morose when considering the impossibly tragic events surrounding his birth, his misspent youth, his mother's unhappy re-marriage and devotion to a husband long dead, and now his position in the universe – and Kirk did not like feeling morose. At this moment, however, while clutching a sweating glass of Andorian ale with one hand and pulling at the itchy collar of his dress uniform with the other, he would admit privately that was the exact feeling occupying his mind. Something that displeased him greatly but which he could not, he was even more displeased to note, seem to shake.

He was the youngest Captain in the Fleet, presiding over Starfleet's flagship, the USS Enterprise – and not likely to have that prestigious position taken away any time soon. He led an amazing crew of young, talented, incredibly intelligent men and women that had not only pulled his ass out of the fire during their first mission together, but had continued to do so over their last year together. Minus a few diplomatic "situations" that would dare anyone to try and handle any better, the Enterprise's on-going mission to expand Earth's knowledge and access to the universe was a resounding success both personally and professionally. Despite all of this, he was immensely irritated with himself for being seated on a bar-stool in the corner of a reception, nursing a drink, when he should have been out hamming it up with his buddies and the crewmen he genuinely liked.

He took another drink, eyed the reception's head table with partially squinted eyes, and finally acknowledged what was really bothering him. The sight of Uhura's joyous face and Spock's serene visage at their nuptials was enough to make him want to drink himself silly. Once upon a time, maybe, he had had some feelings for Uhura – but they had evolved into a solid friendship. No, that wasn't it. And it wasn't the supreme irony that the cold-blooded Vulcan (who, he admitted, was now as good a friend as even McCoy) had been getting more action than him in the year since they left Space Dock. It wasn't even the fact that he hadn't gotten laid since before the fight with Nero and his claiming of the Enterprise as its Captain, although he admitted that from a purely physical perspective it was frustrating and was most likely contributing to the foul mood he had been in for the last few days. No, it was none of those things. He was, for lack of a better word, lonely. It made him sound like some pathetic puppy, a thought that he knew drew a short-lived sneer upon his own face – but another drink covered that up and the powerful effects of the Andorian beverage made it difficult to focus on one thought for very long.

"You look pathetic." McCoy sat down next to him at the bar and signaled for the bartender to bring him a glass.

"Thanks for the support." He polished off his glass and picked up the bright blue bottle in front of him to fill both of their glasses. "I'm glad I have friend like you to pick me up when I'm down."

McCoy took a long drink and stared out at the scene in front of them. From the far end of the bar where they were seated, it was easy to eye the length of the Hell. From the head table where Uhura and Spock sat, quietly talking to each other despite the raucous noise around them, to the dance floor where an enthusiastic Chekov was swinging a pretty blonde girl from Stellar Cartography around in his arms, to the table where Sulu and Scotty were clearly having an enthusiastic discussion about something, though the noise level made it impossible to determine the topic. And between each of their good friends were quite a few of the over 400 individuals who made up the Enterprise crew, not to mention Uhura's extended family.

"You had to have known that becoming Captain of the Enterprise would mean your personal life would go to hell." McCoy took a long drink, but didn't look at the man sitting next to him. Kirk grunted in response, but didn't feel the need to actually respond to that statement. He did know that – it didn't mean he had to admit it out loud. "You might have a soft spot for the ladies, but even you wouldn't screw a woman under your own command."

"You don't know what it means to know that you think so highly of me," Kirk responded wryly and McCoy was pleased to note that the smirk on his face was a little less dejected and a little more genuinely amused. "Coming from you, that's practically a compliment."

"Yeah, well, don't start thinking I'm going to give them out any more frequently than I do." McCoy stared at the head table for a moment before sighing deeply. "I really do hope they make it. You know I think that marriage is about the worst thing that mankind ever invented, but I think if anyone can make it work – it's them."

"Hear, hear." Kirk tipped his glass toward the doctor's and allowed himself to finally smile when they clinked together.

"So, what? You sitting here feeling sorry for yourself because Spock managed to marry the one woman you chased but could never catch?" McCoy smirked. "Feel like you're slipping?"

"No, that's not it." Kirk's voice was more serious than the conversation really called for and McCoy's ears perked up. Jim was his best friend, but that didn't mean Kirk opened up anymore than he did. Sometimes when a man's past was that painful, he had to hold it within himself rather than let it consume him. "To tell you the truth, Bones, I just don't have that itch the way I used to, and I'm kind of glad for that."

That surprised his drinking partner. "What are you talking about? You love playing the field – I've seen you do it for years now and you never seemed to care that nothing was deeper than just a fling. Hell, if you ask me, that's the way to go – better than getting your ass dragged across the pavement by a divorce lawyer."

"I asked Spock – you remember the older one I told you about?" Jim was gripping his glass now with both hands, tightly, and McCoy only nodded, afraid he would stop talking. "I asked him what I was like in the other reality. He didn't want to answer at first."

"Probably for a good reason. That's not who you are, Jim. Or who you will ever be."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Kirk took a long drink and carefully gripped the cup again with both hands. "I ended up alone there, Bones. No wife and no family. I had my friendship with Spock and you, and my ship – and that's it."

"That doesn't sound too bad to me." McCoy sighed. "I'll say it again, Jim, that's not you."

"But it very well could be," Kirk sighed. "Dammit, Bones. Spock's gone and gotten married. He and I will be best friends the rest of our lives, but he has a family now. And one of these days you're going to realize what an ass you're being about women and get remarried."

"Don't bet on it."

"Oh, I do." Kirk grinned at him, although it came out lop-sided. "One day you will realize how all those indecently attractive nurses in Sickbay look at you like you are their own personal Messiah, and one of them will be smarter and better looking than the others – and you'll be hooked. And I'll be left with the ship and my own thoughts for company."

"I'm sure Scotty will stick with the girl as long as you will." McCoy gestured towards the table where Scotty had stood up and was wildly gesticulating, obviously determined now to win the argument with Sulu, who appeared just as determined to continue laughing his ass off. If their previous conversations were anything like this one, they were probably talking soccer. Sulu couldn't resist teasing Scotty over his personal team's continued failures in the Earth League.

"That's not a comforting thought. The man's best friends are a starship and a small, rather disturbing green man." Kirk poured himself another drink, despite the fact that he could feel himself definitely becoming drunk. "Drink more of this before I get completely shit-faced and make an ass of myself."

"Don't get depressing on me, kid. What do you want? Assurances that you won't end up alone? You sound like a 13 year old girl." McCoy knew Kirk and knew that the best way to get him out of a funk like this was to irritate the shit out of him, something he knew he could even on a bad day. There was a reason that the two of them got along so well. "And I've seen you make an ass out of yourself when you're stone cold sober, so I know you just don't want to be drinking alone. Still," McCoy still poured himself another drink, "I've never been one to overlook an open bar."

"Aw, shit. I don't know." Kirk stood up a bit wobbly and gestured towards the head table where Spock and Uhura were rising. "They're getting ready to take off. Come and help me say good bye without falling down and then I'm catching a shuttle back to the ship. It's gotten to where I can't fall asleep without the engine noise. "

McCoy laughed but stood up, as well. "You think you're gonna have time for a woman in your life when you have the Enterprise?"

Kirk stopped and looked at him, his serious expression one that McCoy had seen only a few times before. "I don't want to end up like that, Bones. I love being Captain of the Enterprise – I love being a leader. But I'm not going to sacrifice my life for a ship. My Dad gave his up for the woman he loved and for me – maybe I want to love something that much."

McCoy slapped his hand on his shoulder and held on when he went a bit more wobbly than before. "You're not going to end up alone, Jim. Hell, if we're both 50 and single, we'll buy a goddamn duplex and move in together."

"You really are the worst friend, you know that?"

**********************************************************************************************

The first thought that Lieutenant Lyla Stone had when she woke up was that her head was killing her. Smoke caught in her nostrils and throat and she coughed, her lungs burning with the effort to inhale enough oxygen to survive. She could feel the heat of what she knew had to be fire near her, but her limbs were so heavy that she couldn't seem to move them. The blare of the red alert was deafening, but it was trailing off, as if the computer couldn't continue making a sound. A harsh, guttural noise reached her ears and she struggled to open her eyes. With a rush, everything came back: the attack on the space station, the Klingon warbird, the desperate race to push the children into the weapons locker –the only place on board with sufficient shielding to protect them. Her eyes opened and she felt before she saw the tiny hand lying limp against her thigh – she wanted to close her eyes again but knew she couldn't. _Get up, get moving._

Her heart was beating quickly and she could feel the sticky residue she knew was her own blood. Lyla's vision was blurred by the smoke, but she could see what she knew must be Klingons moving around the hallway. Lwaxana's tiny hand lay against her thigh – and she didn't need to turn her head to know that the rest of the children were most likely nearby, lifeless. The small ability granted to her by her minor Betazoid heritage was enough that she could sense the joy of a child's mind when it was nearby, unguarded. There was no joy around her now – only silence where there should have been laughter. Where the pleasant presence of her crewmates should have been in the back of her mind, was now silence. She vaguely recalled the door to the weapons locker bursting open and her own firing, the screaming of the children. Lyla recalled taking out two Klingons before a third shot her in the shoulder and everything went black. _You have to check and see if there are any children left alive._

When she tried to move, the agonizing pain that shot through her shoulder caused a wave of black to roll across her vision, and she panicked momentarily. She had to move now, see if any children were alive, and get to a computer console. The space station crew had desperately sent out a distress signal when the first Klingon ship appeared and attacked without warning. By the time the third ship appeared and Lyla was hustling the children down the corridor from their lesson in Hydroponics, the red alert was wailing and smoke was pouring through the hallway, the entire facility shaking from the impact of the attack. Only a few minutes had passed for them all. Lwaxana had looked up at her, her lower lip shaking, and Lyla hadn't hesitated before pulling her up into her arms and running, the older children moving behind her, screaming in terror. The guttural noise moved closer and she knew that the Universal translator was broken. She spoke enough Klingon to pass her first year courses at the Academy, but that was it. Not enough to understand what was happening. Lyla's hand flailed at her hip and wondered silently when she found her phaser still in the holster next to her right hand. A slight groan caught her attention and she finally opened her eyes, focusing them.

Lwaxana's eyes were open and staring at her, terrified. Tears streaked through the dirt and grit on her cheeks, and blood poured from an open cut on her forehead. Lyla gripped her hand tightly and hauled her closer, whimpering as her shoulder protested vigorously enough she felt the wave of blackness almost overtake her again. The soft whisper of Lwaxana's more powerful Betazoid mind touched hers and she tried to soothe the child. "Shhhh…" Lyle put her finger to her lip with one hand pulled out her phaser with the other. Lwaxana nodded and slowly moved to huddle next to her, not seeming to notice the body of her good friend Kestral lying next to her. Lyla shifted, gritting her teeth against the pain. Her lip broke as she bit down and tasted fresh blood. Her left arm hung uselessly at her side, her right gripping her phaser tightly as she dragged her body across the floor to the nearest computer console. Lights indicated it was still powered. Thank God. The distress signal had gone out and someone had received it, although how long until help arrived, she would never know. And the Klingons were still here.

Their only chance was to make it to the sub-locker under the weapons room. The Klingons would never make it in there, and all they would have to do was hold out until help arrived. Lwaxana appeared at her side, as if summoned by the thoughts of what was necessary, and the two slipped and slid across the blood covered floor. Klingon language was coming closer, and Lyla dialed in the code as quickly as possible, the door sliding open with a hiss. Lwaxana dropped in immediately and Lyla maneuvered her feet in, as a Klingon appeared through the smoke, bat'leth raised and running toward them. She fired her phaser, hitting him in the chest. She screamed as her shoulder protested, and fell forward into the open locker. Lwaxana slammed her hand against the control and the door slid shut, angry Klingon footsteps and yelling above.

Lyla dropped the phaser and pulled out her communicator, the familiar sound of its activation echoing through the quiet of the sealed locker. Lwaxana removed her small jacket and pressed it firmly to Lyla's shoulder, and couldn't help it, she screamed in agony, but Lwaxana didn't move or let up she continued pressing against the bleeding wound.

"If anyone can hear me, this is Lt. Lyla Stone. I and one of the children are locked in the weapons room sub-locker. The Klingons who attacked are still in the Station. I don't know if anyone else is still alive – I don't believe they are. Please help us."

Lyla didn't know if the message would get out to anyone, but she knew she had to try. They had limited air in the locker and no way of knowing if the Klingons would be waiting for them if they tried to open the hatch. She gripped her phaser tighter and Lwaxana looked on silently. Now they would wait, and if the Klingons tried to come through the hatch she would fight until she couldn't fight any longer. They weren't going to kill any more children if she could prevent it.


	2. Chapter 2

"Bridge to Captain Kirk." Ensign Odon's voice echoed through his previously silent quarters, jerking him abruptly to wakefulness, perched precariously as he was on the edge of his bunk. Kirk scrubbed his hand across his face in an ineffective attempt to fully wake up and slapped his hand against the communications panel near his head. "Kirk here. Go ahead, Ensign."

"Sir, we've received a subspace communication from Starfleet Command for you. Admiral Barnett would like to speak with you." The Ensign's voice took on a more apologetic tone. "He apologized for the early hour, sir, but said it's an urgent matter."

Kirk glared at the chronometer in front of him that flashed the numbers 03:23. He'd had way too much Andorian ale at the reception and now barely 3 hours of sleep. "I understand, Ensign. Put them through to my personal screen here. Give me about a minute to get up."

"Aye, Captain." The communications panel went silent and Kirk half-stumbled, half-fell out of his bunk. He pulled on a discarded t-shirt over his bare chest, scratching absent-mindedly at his neck. The stupid dress uniforms always felt like they were giving him a rash. His personal screen blinked blue, and he sat down to speak with the Admiral, not even attempting to straighten his hair. It was almost 03:30 in the morning – Admiral Barnett could deal with a little bed-head.

"Captain Kirk, it's a pleasure to see you again." Admiral Barnett's face appeared and Kirk had to grin. The man had given him the Captaincy of the Enterprise – he couldn't help but smile at the man.

"Admiral, what can I do for you at 03:30 in the morning?"

"I apologize for the early hour, Kirk. I know you must have only recently returned from the wedding reception. I hope everything went well with Lt. Uhura and Commander Spock's ceremony." The Admiral sighed. "Unfortunately, this is not a personal call. Approximately 45 minutes ago we received a portion of a distress signal from Suwayda Space Stations on the edge of the Neutral Zone." Barnett hit a button off-screen and a space chart popped up onto the screen next to his image. "Only a fraction of the message was retrievable, but it appears that Suwayda was under attack from at least one Klingon warbird. We believe their communications array was damaged as the message was being transnmitted. We've had absolutely no contact with the station since that time. They're quite a ways out, and Enterprise is the fastest ship in the fleet. We need you to get out there immediately and assess the situation, as well as assist any survivors of the attack."

"Not a problem, sir. We'll get going as soon as possible. The ship's been in dock for about a week and a majority of my crew have returned from shore leave, but we'll need a few hours to get up and running." Kirk began a mental checklist. Uhura and Spock would have to be left on Earth to continue their honeymoon – they'd pick them back up when they returned from the mission. But he would miss having their friendship, and expertise, on the bridge during a potentially dangerous situation.

"You should know, Kirk, that there is more than a little political interest in this particular rescue mission. It appears that the youngest daughter of the Betazoid Ambassador to Earth was on-board the Suwayda at the time of the attack, under the care of a Starfleet officer who is a distant relative of Ambassador Baril Troi. While the blame for the attack may rest on the Klingons, I'm sure you can understand how much Starfleet would like to avoid the death of an Ambassador's child while she is under the care of a Starfleet officer."

Shit. "Just what we need – the makings of a diplomatic incident." Kirk sighed. "We'll provide an update as soon as we reach the Suwayda, sir. I'll personally keep an eye out for the girl. What's her name?"

"Lwaxana Troi. I'm not sure of her age, but I believe she's about ten years old."

"Understood, sir. Is there anything else?"

"That's all, Kirk. I will send a copy of the original distress signal to your communications officer, as well as the star-charts for the area where the Suwayda is located. Godspeed to you and your crew. I look forward to your update. Barnett out."

Kirk sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, rougher than before. A quick shower and change and he needed to get to the bridge – even if he would rather get another ten hours of sleep and possibly some kind of hangover remedy from Bones. Opening a channel to the entire ship, he quickly updated the crew of the situation before waking up Sulu. "Sulu, I need you on the bridge as quickly as possible. Get Chekov up there with you and wake up Scotty. I need this ship ready to go as quickly as possible."

"Aye, Captain. Do you want me to have Ensign Odon send a message to Uhura and Spock?"

Kirk sighed. "Yes, have him tell them that we'll swing by and pick them up when we return. I don't want to interrupt their honeymoon. Uhura scares me and I think she might snap if I tried that."

Sulu chuckled. "I understand, sir. I'll advise Ensign Odon and have him send out messages to the remaining crew members on shore leave. They should be able to return to the ship within a few hours."

"Excellent. I will see you on the bridge shortly."

**************************************************

A shower, coffee, and an attempt to look alert took Kirk a full hour, but he knew that arriving on the bridge looking how he felt wouldn't be the most Captain-like thing he had ever done. And while Kirk privately acknowledged his own predilection for looking like an ass in public (as McCoy had often noted) since he had become Captain he made more of an effort to be someone a crew could look up to and admire. McCoy and Spock never made comments to the effect that he needed to shape up, and in his opinion, that meant he was doing a damn good job of it.

Still, the last thing he expected to see when he exited the turbolift, was Spock and Uhura seated at their normal positions on the bridge. Especially considering that they had only departed their own wedding reception approximately six hours earlier. As far as Kirk was concerned, that meant they should probably be somewhere doing something with no clothing involved. "What the hell are you two doing here? Ensign Odon was supposed to let you know we'd be back shortly to pick you up after this mission."

Spock stood up smoothly. "We received Lt. Sulu's message, Captain, and appreciate your efforts to accommodate our arrangements. However, Lt. Uhura and I felt it was our duty to assist in the rescue effort." Uhura moved closer to him, facing Kirk.

"We can resume our honeymoon after the mission, sir. But neither of us felt comfortable allowing the ship and our crewmates to go on a possibly dangerous mission without us." The left corner of her mouth turned up and Kirk was slightly disturbed to note that he mannerisms seemed to mimic her new husband's more and more on some days. "Besides, you know as well as I that none of the other communications officers speak Klingon as well as I do."

"Indeed." Spock's eyebrow lifted in a familiar gesture. "And if Lt. Uhura could not be present during this time, I believe it would in fact negate the title of 'honeymoon.' In which case, I would prefer to accompany her on the bridge rather than wait alone on Earth."

Kirk grinned. "I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't glad to see you."

**********************************************************

"Arriving at Suwayda coordinates in 3-2-1." Sulu pulled back on the warp control and the massive ship immediately stopped, all on the bridge shocked by the view before them. Kirk involuntarily found himself rising out of his seat, his eyes on the sight of what used to be a Starfleet space exploration platform. His throat and fists tightened momentarily as he remembered the awful view above Vulcan when the Enterprise arrived to find the Starfleet armada destroyed. He had not seen a view like this since that day.

"No Klingon ships detected in the vicinity, Captain." Chekov spoke quietly, his voice hushed as all on board contemplated the fate of the 150 individuals assigned to the Suwayda. Debris floated through space as a massive crater in the side of the once operational Station yawned toward the Enterprise, the gaping hole rotating slightly as the destroyed station moved unevenly through the vacuum of space – it's navigational system clearly offline.

"Life signs on board, Mr. Spock?" Kirk did not turn around – he could not seem to look away. It didn't matter that he had been in many battles and seen as much destruction as he had. This was a scientific colony within the Neutral Zone. This should not have happened. He felt a flush rise on his neck as anger suffused him.

"I am reading two life signs, Captain –"

"Sir." Uhura's voice interrupted that of her new husband. Kirk turned around abruptly, hoping for good news. "I am picking up a different distress signal than the one originally received by Starfleet. It appears an individual on board linked their personal communicator to the station's communications array. It's playing on a continued loop."

He moved quickly toward her station. "Play it now."

"Aye, sir." A moment passed before a strangely echoing voice played across the bridge. Whoever was speaking was clearly injured and had inhaled smoke, as the voice struggled to speak.

"If anyone can hear me, this is Lt. Lyla Stone. I and one of the children are locked in the weapons room sub-locker. The Klingons who attacked us are still in the Station. I don't know if anyone else is still alive- I don't believe they are. Please help us."

"Captain, the two life signs appear to be in some sort of a shielded room – possibly a weapons locker, as this message suggests. I am having trouble identifying their species or the extent of their injuries." Kirk turned his body toward Spock. "I believe it would be best if we moved expeditiously."

Kirk palmed the communications panel in front of him. "Scotty, can we beam the two people on board the Suwayda directly to the transporter pad?"

"Unfortunately, no." Scotty's voice betrayed his frustration. "I'm attempting to compensate for the shielding on the room they are in, but I'm guessing it is a weapon's locker, sir. There's no way I'm going to be able to pull them out of there."

"What about life support in that part of the Station?"

"That particular portion of the Station appears to have remained structurally sound. If an away team were to re-seal several of the open doors, artificial gravity and atmosphere could possibly be re-established, at least for a limited period of time in which to rescue the two individuals."

"Scotty, meet me in the transporter room with another engineer. We'll need your help sealing the doors. Spock, you're with me." Spock nodded and stood up, the two men striding to the turbolift quickly. "Mr. Chekov, please continue to monitor the space around us for a Klingon presence. Uhura, if you can figure out a way to send a message back to the communicator of that individual, please do so. We don't want to startle someone who has been hiding in a sealed storage locker for the last 12 hours. Contact Bones down in Sickbay and tell him to meet us in the transporter room." A chorus of acknowledgment followed the two men into the turbolift as the doors slid quietly closed.

******************************************************************

Time had ceased to exist for Lyla. The room was sealed, but the slowly dropping temperature confirmed her fear that the Station had most likely lost artificial gravity and atmosphere – meaning that their oxygen supply was going to run out eventually. Lwaxana was curled against her in an effort to conserve body heat, but their combined temperatures were no match for the creeping frost of deep space. The hole in which they huddled was pitch black, lit only infrequently by the lights of her communicator as it continued to send out the distress signal she had programmed in those few brief, terrified moments as they struggled into their hiding place. Lwaxana was practically unresponsive, and the brief touch of her unconscious mind against Lyla's was the only indication she remained alive. The blood pouring out of Lyla's shoulder had slowed to a trickle hours before, what she assumed to be hours, but the pain refused to cease. The darkness and pain twisted in her mind, and she clung to Lwaxana and her phase pistol, their solid presence in her hands the only things keeping her from giving up and allowing herself to sleep – to slip into oblivion. But even her desire to reunite Lwaxana and Baril, her refusal to allow her honorary niece to die here in space, could not sustain her damaged body indefinitely, and she felt herself drifting. _I tried, Baril…._

Lyla had fought good and hard, but she could not keep it up. The cold and pain had sucked all the power from her and she could feel the phase pistol slipping from her grasp, despite her attempts to hold on. Her fingers were clumsy, the effect of the cold magnified by what she was sure was significant, if not life-threatening, blood loss. Her eyelids were as heavy as they were when she first opened them after the attack, although when open the darkness made it impossible to tell the difference. She had accepted that she had given all she had to give, when she felt a shudder and a jerk in the floor below her and her eyes sprung open. She wasn't sure who it was – she was so tired she couldn't focus. What if the Klingons had returned? Lwaxana did not stir – Lyla feared she would never stir again. But that didn't mean Lyla would simply hand her over.

A screeching noise reverberated through the metal again, and her body shifted away from the painful movement of her shoulder. But she was too tired to respond to the painful stimuli. She gripped the phase pistol, wrapping her stiff fingers around the handle through sheer force of will. A crack of light appeared around the edge of the locker opening and she pulled Lwaxana toward her. If they were to be murdered by Klingons like their compatriots on the Station, Lwaxana would not die alone but in the arms of one who loved her. Light pierced through the darkness, blinding her, her vision blurring with the tears of pain and fear that immediately appeared. Her pain-addled mind did not recognize the voices speaking Earth Standard to her, or the blue color of the Starfleet-issued spacesuits. All she recognized were hands reaching for Lwaxana, and a terrible, inhuman snarl rose in her throat as she raised the pistol, firing at the figure descending toward her.

******************************************************************

"Stop being such an infant. It's ridiculous. What kind of example are you setting for the crew and the ten year old child staring at you?" Bones' customary irritation at Kirk's Sickbay antics put a smile on Lwaxana's face, as she gazed over at the bed next to her.

"You could be a little more gentle – this skin is delicate." Kirk turned his head and grinned at the young girl. "Tell him to stop being mean to the Captain." Lwaxana grinned right back at him, her black eyes blinking rapidly as she processed the scene around her. She had awoken only minutes before, finally warm and in a comfortable bed. People she did not recognize surrounded her, but she felt their kindness through her own telepathic abilities, and knew they meant her no harm.

"Only you would ask a child to defend you." Bones sniffed and moved away from Kirk, who massaged the bandage around his upper arm. "You're lucky all that woman did was graze you."

"Believe me, I'm aware of it." Kirk's eyes shifted to the bed on the other side of him, the rescued Lt. Stone lying still and pale on it. She had yet to wake up, but Bones assured him this was due to a combination of fatigue and blood-loss, not to any life-threatening medical issues. "I've never heard a human being make a sound like she did. It was almost animalistic."

Kirk had been as shocked as the rest of them when the injured Lieutenant had reacted like a trapped animal, her phaser coming up and firing before anyone could see that she was too far gone to recognize they were there to help and not hurt. The shot had grazed his shoulder, stunning him more than anything, and he'd stumbled back, his hand automatically slapping against the wound. Bones had reached in and sedated the woman in seconds, her hands and head dropping quietly, all signs of the rabid protectiveness within her fading like a toy whose power had been deactivated.

"She was protecting me." Lwaxana's girlish voice piped up. "Lyla always keeps me safe. She says there are too many people who love me for her to let anything bad happen to me." Her smile faded. "She tried to protect all of us, but there were too many of the bad people. They hurt her."

"Hey, hey." Kirk slid off the bed and moved toward her, awkwardly patting the child's shoulder. "Don't think about that now. You do your best to feel better and Dr. Grumpy will do his best to make sure Lyla feels better too, okay?"

"Bridge to the Captain." Spock's smooth voice interrupted their conversation, and Kirk touched the panel near Lwaxana's head, sticking his tongue out at her at the same time. She giggled and Kirk could practically hear Spock's eyebrow lifting at hearing a giggle over the intercom. "Go ahead, Commander."

"Sir, the Away team is preparing to beam back to the Station to search for salvageable portions of the mainframe. Do you prefer they wait for you to accompany them?"

"No, that's fine. Bones may have a heart attack if I go out again with an injured arm." From the across the room, Kirk saw McCoy frown and his hand twitch, as if he wanted to make a rude gesture but couldn't with the child present. "Tell Scotty and Chekov to be careful and I look forward to a full report. I'll be up to the Bridge momentarily to monitor their progress."

"Acknowledged, Captain. Spock out." The communicator's familiar chime sounded, but Kirk noted that Lwaxana's few brief moments of energy had already fatigued her and her eyes were sliding shut. A quiet moan caught his attention and that of the doctor, their eyes snapping immediately to Lt. Stone's bed.

"Lt. Stone, can you hear me?" McCoy stood over her, diagnostic tool in hand. Kirk walked over to the other side of the bed and took a closer look at her for the first time. Black hair spilled over her shoulders, streaked with blood, in stark contrast to the white pillow under her head. A long cut across her hairline had spilled blood down one side of her face, which McCoy's nurses had not yet had the opportunity to clean. The large wound on her left shoulder was covered with a substantial bandage. "I'm going to give you a very mild stimulant, Lieutenant, to help get your heartrate up to where it should be."

Her body automatically flinched from the pain of the hypospray in her neck, and Kirk had to smirk slightly. Apparently he wasn't the only one who found the application of those devices to be horrific. Eyelids fluttered, and he leaned in. "Lt. Stone, can you hear me? I'm Captain Jim Kirk of the USS Enterprise. We've taken you from the Suwayda and brought you on board our ship."

Dark eyes sprung open and searched wildly, reminding him of her appearance even as she shot him in an effort to defend her young charge. She reared up violently and Kirk and McCoy pushed her shoulders back to the bed. Kirk moved slightly to the side so she could see Lwaxana. "She's resting and has already been awake. She's going to be just fine." A tear slid out of her eye and Kirk fought the urge within him to brush it away. She was a junior officer and it would be completely inappropriate. "You did a good job, Lieutenant. You saved her life." He smiled at her. "You saved both of your lives."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I have been very flattered by the number of people who have listed me as a Favorite Author or put this story on alert. I hope to continue updating quite regularly as the plot is now beginning to thicken. If you do like the story, or hate it, please leave a note and let me know. Reviews are great motivation for me to keep writing even when I should be in bed.

**CHAPTER THREE**

Kirk was slightly worried that Lyla – _Lt. Stone_, he reminded himself – had barely been able to speak to him for a few moments before she fell back into unconsciousness. She had been too disoriented and relieved over their rescue to answer any of his questions about the attack, although that had not stopped him from taking a moment to admire her dark eyes. McCoy assured him that her body was dealing with the trauma it had suffered like most normal human bodies did, although he had also disclosed the fact that it might take her a little extra time to heal, as she was one quarter Betazoid. Kirk had never met a Betazoid before, or been to the planet Betazed, although like all cadets he was familiar with it as a member of the Federation. He was fairly sure that Lt. Stone was the Starfleet officer who was a distant relation to Ambassador Beril, whose daughter was thankfully still alive. Despite the deaths of the rest of the individuals on the Station, the lives of Lwaxana and Lt. Stone and the avoidance of a major diplomatic incident between Starfleet and Betazed was something to be thankful for, however slight it might be. He sighed quietly at the sight of the destroyed station still floating within the view screen and could see Spock's head turn toward him a fraction out of the corner of his eye.

"Lt. Uhura, please send a message to Starfleet Command that I would like to speak with Admiral Barnett as soon as possible. Update them as to the status of the Suwayda and our two survivors."

"Aye, Captain." Uhura's very capable voice murmured quietly in the background as Spock turned toward him fully.

"Captain, the Away team has re-entered the Space Station."

"Chekov to Enterprise." The soft yet consistently excited voice of Chekov echoed through the Bridge.

"Go ahead, Chekov. How does it look in there?"

"Not good, sir." The entire bridge could hear a serious of curse words being yelled in a belligerent tone of voice by what was most definitely Montgomery Scott and Kirk had to smile. Leave it to Scotty to put him in a better mood. Chekov sounded almost embarrassed when he spoke again and Kirk would bet he was blushing from that language. Chekov was a genius, but he was only eighteen. "The main computer has been severely damaged. It appears, sir, that the Klingons were attempting to destroy the mainframe as thoroughly as possible. Additionally, the area that appears to have suffered the most damage is the Hydroponics Bay."

Kirk frowned. Why would Klingons attack a Federation Station in the Neutral Zone to blow up a bunch of plants? "That's odd."

"Agreed, Captain. However, considering the more superficial damage to the rest of the Station's interior and the concentration of destruction in that area, I would conclude that something in there was their target. Mr. Scott agrees with me. He is attempting to recover what can be salvaged of the mainframe system."

"Captain," Scotty interrupted, "They did a fine job of blowing up this Hydroponics Bay. I'd say they set charges and blew it to Kingdom Come."

"What could they have possibly wanted to destroy so badly in a room full of plants?" Kirk sat down in his command seat but turned a thoughtful eye to Spock, who shook his head to indicate that he had no ideas as to the reasoning behind the Klingons' actions.

"No telling, sir. I'm hoping we'll be able to retrieve some imagery from the remains of the mainframe but I'm not holding out too much hope. Tell Commander Spock that I'll be remotely uploading them to his Station momentarily. To be honest, I'm not seeing much else here to salvage."

"Good work, you two. Return to the ship as quickly as possible. Engineering has beamed the remaining bodies to one of the cargo bays for storage until we return to Earth. We will destroy the remains of the Suwayda before departing. Kirk out." Kirk walked up toward the conn and clapped his hand on Sulu's shoulder. "Mr. Sulu, as soon as the Away team has returned and we are clear of the Station, fire two photon torpedoes at the engine of the Space Station. That should be enough to trigger a destruction sequence."

"Aye, Captain." Sulu's hands flew across the computer in front of him and Kirk nodded before turning again.

"Captain," Uhura's calm voice broke in before he could speak again. "I have Admiral Barnett waiting to speak with you and I have transmitted the information regarding the destruction of the Suwayda to Starfleet Command."

"Transfer him to my quarters. Mr. Spock, you have the bridge. Please take a look at the remnants of that mainframe and see if we can find out what the hell the Klingons were doing attacking a research vessel. I'm going to head to my quarters and update Admiral Barnett. At least we can tell Ambassador Troi know that her daughter survived."

"I will update you as soon as I locate any pertinent data in the mainframe, sir. It may take some time, as my initial assessment show that Mr. Scott was accurate in the extent of damage inflicted by the attackers."

Kirk grinned. "Good thing you came along, then. I know how much you love a challenge."

"Indeed." Uhura's eyes crinkled and she gave Kirk a slight grin at Spock's familiar comment. Kirk was pleased to note that marriage had not taken away her ability to be amused by her husband's _unique_ speaking habits.

*****************************************************************

"Jim, we have a serious problem here." Kirk had barely taken a seat when a harried-looking Admiral Barnett's face appeared on the screen. It was never a good sign when a man as by-the-book as Barnett was calling you by your first name.

"Admiral, what's going on? I thought you'd be happy that Ambassador Troi's daughter was saved."

"Unfortunately, we're not going to have the opportunity to tell her." Barnett sighed heavily. "Last night, Ambassador Beril Troi was murdered in her home – shot in the chest." Kirk froze in shock. "Admiral Roman Conway has been arrested and is being kept under strict observation."

"What?! Admiral Conway? Wasn't Conway the instructor at Starfleet Academy who taught courses on non-violent negotiations? I took one of his courses." Kirk ran his hands across his face, a familiar gesture that usually helped to wake him up or to focus, its effects not helping at this particular moment. "That makes no sense."

"I absolutely agree with you, Kirk. I've known Conway for almost twenty years and the man does not have a single violent bone in his body. Apparently he was discovered by the authorities standing over her body with the weapon, raving about Betazoid traitors. Ambassador Troi had been dead for no more than ten minutes."

Kirk paused as a thought occurred to him. "Sir, I highly doubt it was just a coincidence that Ambassador Troi was murdered and the space station her daughter on attacked on the same day."

"No, I believe you're right." At that moment, Barnett looked every one of his years and then some. "The Betazoid Matriarch has already sent a screaming message to the Earth President and to Starfleet Command. Some are saying that there are rumblings of war on Betazed, or at least complete removal of their contingent from the Federation. If they were to rescind their participation, it could be potentially devastating to the Fleet. Betazed is one of only a few planets with naturally occurring dilithium deposits, and you know as well as I that when the dilithium stops, the ships stop."

"Sir, I do not think it would be a good idea for us to return Lwaxana to Earth right now, she's obviously at risk. We could make the trip to Betazed – it's possible that delivering the Ambassador's daughter safely to the Matriarch could help put us back in her good graces. I believe Ambassador Troi was one of the Matriarch's daughters."

"Absolutely not." Barnett pinched his nose and closed his eyes – it was obvious the man had not slept in quite a few hours. "That child is in more danger than ever. The Klingons, or whoever it was that attacked the Suwayda, most likely believe the child is now deceased – and that could work in our favor. While I agree that delivering her to Betazed would most likely assist in our diplomatic efforts, as we do not yet know who it is that is orchestrating this attempt to kill her and her mother, I do _not_ want to risk telling anyone of her survival. Beril was a personal friend and while we may have not been able to save her, I plan to do everything within my power to see that her daughter is not harmed."

"Absolutely, sir. Whatever you need from the Enterprise, let me know. My engineering crew was able to recover portions of the damaged mainframe from the Suwayda before we initiated the destruction mechanism. Commander Spock and Lt. Uhura are currently attempting to retrieve and review any video surveillance from within the Station following the boarding by Klingons. It appears that they focused most of their attack on the Hydroponics Bay, sir. Do you have any idea why a Klingon war party would do something like that?"

"No, I don't. I hope that your review of the mainframe provides some useful context. The investigation into Admiral Conway's apparent murder of the Ambassador is on-going and I'm afraid that I must leave now to participate in the on-going conversation with the Acting Ambassador from Betazed. Please contact me when you have additional information. At this point I need you to focus on protecting Lwaxana Troi. We've got to figure out what is going on here before we proceed any further."

"Will do. I'll have Sulu put us in orbit around Saturn or Jupiter. I don't want to be this far out of the solar system in the event that we need to respond quickly."

"Good work, Jim. I'll be in touch. Barnett out." The screen flickered and then went black. Kirk leaned back in his chair, linking his fingers behind his head. The simultaneous attack on Lwaxana Troi and the murder of the Ambassador made no sense. Why would Admiral Conway, a man who had devoted the last twenty years of his life to the promotion of peace over war, suddenly shoot a respected Ambassador from a peaceful planet? And why the _HELL_ were the Klingons blowing up a greenhouse in space on the edge of the Neutral Zone? They needed to see what was on that mainframe and he needed to speak to Lt. Stone in more depth. He tried to ignore the fact that a part of him wanted to see those dark eyes again. _She's a junior Starfleet officer. Stop acting like a horny kid_.

Jim sighed. He seriously needed to get laid.

***********************************************

"I'm glad to see you looking so much better, Lieutenant." McCoy tapped a few more buttons on the screen next to Lyla's bed and issued one of his infrequent half-smiles.

"I have to admit I am as well." Her throat was still killing her from the smoke she had inhaled on the Station, but the blessed drugs had rendered her shoulder pain free and the sight of Lwaxana happily, _safely_, playing in the corner of Sickbay more than made up for those horrific hours in the storage locker on the Station. Her brow crinkled slightly as she thought of the other children that she had not been able to save.

"If you keep frowning like that, your face will stay that way." Kirk smiled at her as he walked through the automatic doors, ignoring McCoy as he rolled his eyes out of Lyla's line of sight. Damn, the woman was good-looking when she wasn't covered in blood. Her long black hair had been washed at some point, and tumbled over her shoulders in a glossy shower – he had never been more thankful for a nurse's efforts to clean up a patient. Pale skin seemed almost illuminated, even in the horrific lighting of sickbay, which he considered fairly impressive. But what really struck him again was her eyes. He knew most Betazoids had black irises, rendering their eyes dark, but he had never really seen any up close. A man could drown in those eyes. _Junior_ _officer_, he reminded himself firmly.

"Captain Kirk." She winced at the rasping quality of her voice, as did he when he heard how painful it must be to speak. "Thank you for saving us. Lwaxana and I. We would not have survived much longer."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Lt. Stone. Although, you could apologize for shooting me while I was trying to do it." He'd meant it in a joking manner but felt guilty when she looked shocked. He placed his hand on hers in effort to comfort her. "Hey – "

Kirk did not have the opportunity to finish his sentence as, in an instant, he was flooded with emotions that he somehow knew were coming from her. Those dark eyes were wide and staring at him, embracing him, and without control he felt himself gravitating toward her. Pain, anger, joy, gratitude, shock – everything swelling within her eyes was pouring into him and he felt as powerless to stop it as he had felt when the elder Spock had melded their minds. Dimly he heard McCoy calling his name, worry in his voice, but he could not see beyond the burning black depths of her eyes, emotions swirling – her own shock at the contact echoing between them – her face as frozen in a moment of surprise as his. He was, perhaps for the first time in his entire life, rendered completely speechless, his vocal chords frozen, his mind blank as her emotions overpowered him, rushing through him like a wave upon the beach, reaching into his core and grabbing hold with a power he could not begin to understand. Kirk felt in that moment as if her very soul was exposed and touching his own, a heady feeling of connectivity rushing through him. A wrenching pain ripped through him – through both of them – as McCoy violently separated their hands, and he stumbled back, gasping.

"Jim! Are you okay?" Kirk stumbled, his legs giving out, landing hard on the desk. Tears were leaking from his eyes and he heard a whimper as he looked up and saw Lyla's hands holding her temples as if in pain.

"Lyla." His voice rasped as painfully as hers a moment before. McCoy was kneeling next to him, tri-corder humming, but he could see only the pain on her face and feel the burning of his palm where moments before her hand had been.

"Hold still, Jim. Your brain waves are all over the place – I need you to calm down for a second."

"What the hell just happened?" He coughed, trying to breathe deeply and regain a sense of equilibrium.

"How the _hell_ should I know? One second you're being your usual pain-in-the-ass charming self and the next you're both not moving and her monitors are going haywire. Hold on, this should help with the vertigo." McCoy squinted his eyes slightly when Kirk did not even have the where-withal to complain about the hypospray in his neck.

"That's never happened like that before." Her voice was soft from the bed and both men turned to look at her. "I'm sorry." Lwaxana had appeared out of nowhere and was in her arms, Lyla's uninjured right arm wrapped around her.

"So it has happened before? Scratch that, what the hell was it?" McCoy stood up, anger radiating off of him. "I don't appreciate a patient in my Sickbay injuring an accident-prone Captain." Kirk was at least able to muster a glare at him for that one, even as he took a deep breath and forced himself to his feet. His mind was still whirling, but at least his body's equilibrium had stabilized.

"As I am sure you're aware, Doctor, I am one-quarter Betazoid." Her voice was soft and her eyes apologetic as she looked at Kirk.

"And?"

"Then you know that the Betazoid race are highly telepathic, more so even than Vulcans. With my limited heritage I have never had the full capability that an individual such as Lwaxana here has – the ability to share emotions and thoughts with others. I do have some small ability, which is usually magnified by touch. It has never manifested itself so powerfully, though. Normally I am capable of only absorbing emotions from others, not sharing my own with non-telepaths." Kirk leaned against the bed next to her, still unable to look away from her eyes – still a little in shock. "Are you alright, Captain Kirk?"

He smiled crookedly. "I've had far worse things done to me by far more horrible people. I think I'll live."

McCoy rolled his eyes, this time not even trying to hide it. "Far be it from me to be concerned when your brains apparently shut down right in front of me. I give up on trying to keep either one of you safe."

Lyla could not bring her own eyes to glance away from his ice blue ones. The brief moments they had been connected had shocked her into silence, her mind carried on a torrent of emotions not her own. Never in her brief life had she experienced another's emotions as she had Jim Kirk's – the touch of another had been occasionally uncomfortable, but never so powerful. His shock at the event and his anger at the events upon the space station had been foremost within him. But buried beneath the surface emotions had simmered a spring of conflictions erupting with powerful force. Guilt for what she did not know, fear for his crew, a latent attraction to her as a woman that he was embarrassed enough by to try and suppress, and shock over the death of Baril…..

"Baril." Her face twitched but did not change, though Jim had expected her to cry when he realized what she had figured out. "Lwaxana, why don't you go play some more? I need to talk to the Captain." The girl nodded and slid off the bed and resumed her motions in the corner of the room.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Stone. I only recently found out myself."

"Why would someone kill her?"

"Wait." McCoy looked at them both in shock and spoke in an urgent whisper to avoid alerting Lwaxana. "Something happened to Ambassador Troi?"

"She's dead." Lyla whispered, the pain at the passing of her close friend and great-aunt ripping through her. Kirk was impressed that she did not cry or display the obvious pain she was feeling. He had felt the strength of the emotions running through her, felt them as deeply as he felt Spock's pain at the loss of his planet.

"Well, shit." McCoy scrubbed his hand over his face in a gesture that Kirk was momentarily amused to note reminded him of himself. "This just got a whole hell of a lot more interesting."

"Bridge to the Captain." Spock's calm voice came across the intercom.

"Go ahead, Spock."

"Captain, we have recovered a limited amount of video from the Station's mainframe. I believe you will be interested to see it."

"I'll meet you in the briefing room, Spock. Kirk out." He turned to Lyla. "Do you feel well enough to come with me? We need answers and as of right now you are the only person who may know even a few of them."

"Not that you're asking her physician or anything, but she should be okay to move a little." McCoy glowered at him but did not try to stop Kirk. The seriousness of the situation had occurred to him.

"Of course, Captain. If you don't mind me wearing my pajamas in the briefing room." She attempted a smile in his direction and began to slide off the bio-bed with McCoy's assistance.

Jim felt the same crooked grin from before emerge upon his face before he could stop it. "There's a first time for everything, Lt. Stone." She placed her hand upon his arm, and he noted her careful attention to make sure none of their bare skin was touching. Her eyes briefly met his again and she took a deep breath.

Her eyes showed a resolve that reminded him of the look on her face when she was determined to save Lwaxan or die trying. "Let's find out what the hell is going on."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has read the story so far. Please review, if you have the time. While I do have the plot laid out, I'm always looking to respond to what readers do/don't like. While I do write for my own enjoyment, it can be discouraging when a chapter gets several hundred hits and only one or two reviews. I appreciate any and all feedback. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"Captain, I have queued up the video that Lt. Uhura and I have recovered from the mainframe." Spock turned toward the door as it slid open, revealing both Kirk and Lyla. He inclined his head toward the injured Lieutenant and waited as Kirk helped her shuffle to a chair and sit down.

"Lieutenant Stone, this is my First Officer, Commander Spock." Kirk stood at the head of the table. "Let me also introduce my Chief Communications Officer Nyota Uhura, our Chief Navigation Officer Pavel Chekov, our Chief Conn Officer Hikaru Sulu, and our Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott."

"Call me Scotty, lass." Scotty winked at her and grinned from across the table. Lyla couldn't help but smile back.

"Alright, Mr. Scott. There will be plenty of time for you to flirt with Lt. Stone later." Kirk resisted the urge to glare at Scotty and ignored the speculative gleam he saw in Uhura's eye from the seat behind the smiling engineer. "Before we begin, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Admiral Barnett informed me only a few moments ago that Ambassador Baril Troi, the mother of our rescued Lwaxana, was murdered in her home in San Francisco last night. Admiral Roman Conway had been arrested and accused of her murder."

The faces staring at him from the table were all stunned. "Admiral Conway?" Uhura choked. She had taken several classes with him.

"I know it's shocking. It's also clearly not a coincidence that the space station where Ambassador Troi's daughter was located was attacked on the same day that she was murdered."

"Do we have any idea who is responsible for the attack? Or why they would attack?" Chekov spoke up speculatively from the table.

"No. Hopefully this video will shed some light." Kirk turned toward Spock. "Queue up the video please."

"Yes, Captain. I have cleaned up the footage as much as possible, and Lt. Uhura uploaded a translation program so we will be able to understand what the Klingons are saying. We focused on the footage from the Hydroponics Bay, as this appears to be where the majority of the damage took place."

The video began to play and all were stunned into silence. The Klingons were rampaging through the Station, the splintered footage switching from camera to camera, the terrified faces of Lyla's former crew seared into the memories of everyone who watched – their screams echoing over the speakers within the small briefing room. Kirk tensed as he suddenly recognized an uninjured Lyla holding Lwaxana while a cluster of children huddled behind her. Klingons burst through the doors and even as children were shot around her she fired, her phase pistol taking out multiple Klingons before a shot to her shoulder knocked her over. Lyla's right hand was fisted on the table, her body rigid as she watched the death of the children she had tried to protect. Uhura's hand reached over and covered hers and she smiled gratefully. Kirk briefly wondered if Uhura felt the same connection with Lyla that he had.

The camera switched to another view before focusing on the Hydroponics Bay. A guttural voice came out clearly through the video. "Where is it?" A Klingon male was destroying everything his path.

"I have no idea. The Stone woman was working on it - that was all he said." More plants were knocked over as the Klingon clearly grew agitated. "Kill the child. Take the plants and Stone."

Lyla's face drained of color and she looked as if she might faint. Kirk's hands fisted and he fought the urge to punch the wall. Uhura's hand tightened.

"We do not have time for this. Take everything that looks remotely like it could be the planet. Download the relevant information from the mainframe and then destroy it. Find the Stone woman!" The leader of the attack party said something in Klingon that the translation program could not translate and then stormed out of the room.

The video switched again and Kirk swallowed at the sight of Lyla lying covered in blood, surrounded by the bodies of children. Nothing in his life had prepared him for this. Lwaxana shifted slightly and Lyla's eyes opened, her body struggling across the floor to the computer access panel and then to the locker door in the floor. Klingons appeared in the corner of the screen and she fired before screaming in pain and falling into the locker, the door slamming shut.

"Open the access panel."

"She has locked it, Captain. It will take some time."

"_poSmoH lojmIt!_ We do not have time. Starfleet will be responding soon. Leave her here to rot. We have the plants and the information. The Stone woman can die here – we will still get paid. We'll blow a hole in this Station and let Space take her." He turned and stormed out as the Klingon left at the computer terminal began to destroy the room. The screen went blank. No one in the room spoke or moved.

"Captain." Even Spock's voice sounded tentative. "External footage identified three Vulcan Warbirds, all unlisted. Mr. Chekov, however, may have isolated their warp trails."

"Excellent." He forced his hands to relax from their fists and turned to the stunned Lieutenant. "Ms. Stone, do you have any idea what the Klingons were talking about? Why they would be interested in you or your work in Hydroponics?"

She blinked several times before focusing on his face. Her face was still unnaturally pale and he noticed that Uhura retained her firm grip on Lyla's uninjured hand. She swallowed and then nodded. "I believe I know what they were after, but I have no idea how they would have known about it."

"Please explain."

"I've been on loan to the Government of Betazed for the last year, working on a highly classified project. It took several years of negotiations between the two governments, however, as I am distantly related to the Betazoid Matriarch and as the scientists on Betazed were not making any progress themselves – an agreement was reached. To satisfy the requirement by the Betazed High Council that only a Betazoid could be aware of the situation, Starfleet loaned me out as a temporary member of the Betazoid military. While I am still a Starfleet officer, I essentially report to Betazed – to the Matriarch herself."

"How did Betazed get Starfleet to agree to that?" Sulu wondered aloud.

"Because Starfleet needed my work as badly as Betazed did." She paused and looked directly at Kirk. "What I am about to tell you is highly classified, and for good reason. But, considering the circumstances that we now face – I believe there is more than enough reason to share it with you. There is a plant that grows on Betazed, in a few places, that has very powerful capabilities. With a concentrated dose, this plant has the capability of magnifying a telepath's abilities by ten, twenty, even thirty times. To the point that a person who has ingested it literally has the ability to control another's mind. Force them to do their bidding."

"Impossible." Spock broke into her description. "I have not ever heard of such a plant, it is quite improbable that such a thing would exist in nature without other telepathic beings being aware of it."

"Improbable as you may believe it to be, Commander, it's true. I've seen the effects myself. The Matriarch demonstrated it with the assistance of a willing participant. It is very powerful and highly complex. I have never seen such a complex design in a plant before. I was specifically chosen by the Betazed High Council and Starfleet to attempt to do what none have been able to do before – to synthesize a vaccine. The mind of a Betazoid is highly susceptible to those who have utilized the derivative of this plant and the Matriarch is convinced that a vaccine must be developed for the royal family – to prevent their control by any outside forces. Starfleet agrees that this could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands."

"How would the Klingons even know about something like that? It sounds like no one in Starfleet even knew – not that that surprises me all that much. " Scotty could still get quite testy about Starfleet Command, even after all this time.

"I have no idea." Lyla shook her head forcefully. "No one knew except for Ambassador Baril, President Fox, and key members of Starfleet Command and the Betazed High Council. Maybe six people total."

"Which means," Kirk leaned his hands on the back of the chair in front of him and stared at her. "That someone in either Starfleet Command or the Betazed High Council is responsible. They were the only ones that knew about your work and your location."

"They also would have been the only ones to know that Lwaxana was on the space station with me. It was only a three week visit. It would not have been shared with many people for security reasons."

"We need to share this information with Admiral Barnett. I don't think he knew about your mission, Lyla, which in my book says he's not a suspect. We need a man on the inside of Starfleet Command if we're going to figure out who is responsible for this."

"Captain," Chekov piped up. "It appears that all three of the Klingon Warbirds' warp trails are going in the same direction. If we follow them we could find the crew or even perhaps discover who they are talking to."

"Excellent, Chekov. Begin plotting a course to follow them immediately. Sulu, please assist him."

"I believe it is safe to assume, Captain, that whoever it is that has stolen the research from the Space Station has a far larger goal in mind than simply killing Ambassador Baril or her daughter." Spock appeared thoughtful, something Kirk was almost always uncomfortable with. It usually meant he was figuring out what was going on, and they were about to get involved in something potentially dangerous. "The attempt to gain control of the plant, taken into consideration with the death of Ambassador Beril and the attempt on her daughter can lead to only one conclusion."

Lyla's face went even paler, if that was possible. "Someone is making a play against the Matriarch. It's a coup on Betazed, and they've hired out the Klingons to do their dirty work."

******************************************************************

Sabhanna Rishan Troi, Matriarch of Betazed, had confined herself to her quarters at the news of her only remaining daughter's murder on the planet Earth. That, combined with the news of the attack on the Starfleet Space Station where her youngest granddaughter was visiting had driven her half-mad with grief and anger. She could not articulate her feelings, she only knew that the presence in her mind that had at one time been her daughter was no longer there.

"Matriarch, the High Council has assembled." Her serving girl, Tam, who had been so loyal for almost 40 years, quietly closed the door behind her as she entered. "They are waiting for you to begin."

"Thank you, Tam." Sabhanna finished attaching one of her heavy, ornate earrings and placed the golden circlet denoting her position upon her head. "I am ready to meet with them."

The ornate doors leading to the High Council chamber swung closed behind her as she ascended the podium to her place of honor at the head of the room. Arguing voices quieted down for the customary rise as she entered the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." She herself had been the individual to allow men into the High Council. It was the first time in the history of Betazed's four thousand year Council that had occurred. Now she wondered if perhaps her changing of tradition were being punished by what was happening to her family.

"Matriarch, you honor us with your presence." Minister Reittan bowed low, taking the floor. "We have been waiting for your appearance to discuss the matter of our response to Starfleet."

"What have the women and men of the High Council voted upon?"

"Despite the diplomatic efforts of Starfleet Command, we believe it is unacceptable that they have allowed the Ambassador to Earth and daughter to the Matriarch to be murdered by one of their own. We believe it would be appropriate to rescind our membership from the Federation at this point."

Loud voices started in argument again and Minister Tamarin stood up in anger. "You forget yourself, Minister Reittan. Please note that the decision of this Council has been split down the middle regarding a response." She turned to the Matriarch, her cheeks flushed with anger. "Matriarch, withdrawing from the Federation would be a mistake. They are investigating the murder of Baril and have offered us every opportunity to jointly investigate with them. They have not confirmed the destruction of the Suwayda Space Station or the death of Lwaxana, although they assure us they have dispatched their flag ship to do both. We should not make hasty judgments."

"I disagree, Minister Tamarin." Reittan glared at her from across the chamber. "You forget that your arguing side has lost this particular vote. In the tradition of this chamber a vote was held and it was decided by a simple majority that our measured response would be the removal of our contingent from Starfleet for this time. Earth is lucky that we do not attack them and openly declare war for their incompetence and obvious insult."

"Only an idiot would suggest declaring war between two peaceful nations!" Tamarin was fuming. "Who will assist us if the Klingons finally attempt to take the opportunity to make a play for our dilithium deposits? We do not have the resources without Starfleet."

"We do not need them! Matriarch," he turned to the seated woman, who had remained silent, "We must respond to this injustice with strength. Authorize our withdrawal from Starfleet."

Sabhanna had only half-listened to what was happening around her. Since her daughter's death she had felt as if in a haze, unable to control her mind, unable to listen or focus. But she knew that she was angry – furious – with Starfleet and she wanted them to feel this anger. "I agree with Minister Reittan."

"But Matriach…"

"Issue a formal announcement and prepare a formal letter for Starfleet Command. I will affix my signature upon it. As far as war is concerned…." She paused and the Chamber collectively held its breath. "I will have to think on this matter for some time. First we will mourn my daughter."

******************************************************************************

Jim was surprised when the door to the Messhall slid open at 1 AM and the room wasn't empty. Lyla was seated in a chair in the corner of the room, facing away from the door and into space. The stars were moving by quickly in the distance. He hesitated, not sure if she wanted company, but her head turned at the sound of the door and their eyes met.

"I hope you aren't going to leave because I'm sitting here." She gave him a small smile and he found himself walking forward, the door sliding shut behind him. "I've heard you are the type of man who doesn't let anyone stop him from doing anything."

His lips twitched into a grin. "May it never be said that I'm not."

"Tea?" Lyla gestured toward the mug on the table in front of her.

"Actually, I was thinking of something a little stronger."

"Oh, thank you Lord in Heaven." He laughed at the relieved look on her face. "I didn't want someone to walk in and see me drinking, but I would love a Scotch."

"Don't worry, I think your professional reputation will be secure if you're caught drinking with the Captain." Kirk walked behind the counter separating the storage area from the tables and leaned down to pick up a bottle of Scotch. When he stood up, Lyla was standing in front of him with two glasses in hand. He felt himself hesitate momentarily, a situation he was unfamiliar with and did not know how to handle. For as long as he could remember, Jim Kirk had had a way with women. It didn't matter what species, color, weight, height – he liked them all and they liked him. And with that came a natural ability to talk with them. He'd never gone through that awkward phase where he stumbled and mumbled around women, it had just never happen. Which was why, when Lyla was standing there staring at him so solemnly with two glasses in her hand, he couldn't understand what he was feeling or why it was that he stopped to stare without speaking.

"You okay?" Lyla set the glasses down on the counter.

"Uh…yeah." Jim blinked and started moving again, the bottle in hand.

Lyle hummed slightly and picked the glasses back up, returning to the table by the window. They both slid into their seats and he poured two generous portions. Lyla picked hers up and looked at him.

"To Baril Troi." Lyla looked at him gratefully and clinked her glass against his before taking a generous gulp, coughing and sputtering as it hit her throat. Jim laughed out loud, surprised at how easy it was to laugh around her when so many horrible things were happening around them.

"Damn, that's strong." She wiped away the tears that had leaked from her eyes and grinned at him. "Promise me you won't tell anyone I did that."

"I will make no such promise," he replied with mock indignation.

"I figured as much." This time when she drank it slid down smoothly and she closed her eyes, appreciating the warmth as the Scotch slid down her throat and he unashamedly watched the line of her pale throat as her head leaned back slightly. "Sometimes when things get bad, you just need a stiff drink."

"How are you holding up?" He took a drink from his own glass but kept his eyes on her.

"You mean besides finding out that my work may have partially been to blame for the death of my Great Aunt and all of my co-workers on the Suwayda?"

"First of all, you are in no way responsible for what has happened." He set his glass down firmly and put his other hand on her arm. "Let's be clear on that."

She smiled at him, and placed her hand on top of his. Jim felt the familiar burn from before but did not let go. "I know that. Call it misplaced anger – I feel the need to blame someone. There are no Klingons here so I put the blame on myself for now."

He nodded and pulled his arm away. "I can understand that feeling. I've experienced it myself in the past."

"Yes." She eyed him speculatively. "Yes, you have. I recognized that within you in Sickbay when we touched. I should apologize for that. When emotional events occur my abilities can become uncontrollable, heightened." She smiled. "I appreciate you not being afraid to touch me after that."

"It's not a hardship for me to touch a beautiful woman."

She laughed again and he recognized he was beginning to truly appreciate the full-bodied sound that issued from her throat. When Lyla laughed, she laughed with her whole body, head thrown back, her shoulders shaking. He liked it. "Flattery, Captain Kirk, is appreciated but recognized for what it is."

"Call me Jim."

"I…." her voice faltered and he mentally kicked himself – just because she wasn't technically Starfleet right now didn't mean she wouldn't be again, or that she was comfortable with him getting a little too cozy with her. He was a complete idiot. He closed his eyes and took a drink, resisting the urge to bolt from the room. He couldn't remember ever feeling this unsure of himself, ever. It made him uncomfortable and even a bit angry.

"Jim." Her hand covered his and he lifted his eyes to her, blue meeting black. The burn returned and he could feel something between them, though nothing distinct like before. "Thank you for everything you have done. Saving my life and Lwaxana's. Giving me someone to talk to. You can't know how glad I am to have met you."

"I think I can understand a little." His voice was hoarse and she pulled her hand back quickly. "No."

She was obviously startled by his exclamation and her eyes widened. Those damned eyes that he couldn't stop looking into. "I mean….I don't mind…..that I can feel it."

"I don't mind either." She hesitated but tentatively placed her hand back on his and they both took a moment to appreciate the sensation that passed between them. Her eyes were bottomless wells and he could swear he felt them changing, burning, a charge building between them. He could not look away, and neither could she. Jim felt his hand grasp hers tighter, the muscles in his forearm clenching. She licked her lips nervously and his gaze dropped down, unable or unwilling to look elsewhere. Involuntarily he began to lean forward. She was moving as well, he could feel it. The burn in his palm was traveling up his arm and suffusing his body and he recognized it for what it was – desire. She desired him and he could feel it. Inches more and he would press his lips against hers.

The door to the Messhall slid open and he jumped back, startled. Lyla retracted her hand from his quickly and brought her drink to her lips. Ensign Simmons from Engineering didn't appear to notice them as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Jim looked at her again, but the spell had broken. She smiled warmly and set her cup down. "Thank you for the drink. I had better be getting back to Sickbay before Dr. McCoy sends out a search party."

"Wait, Bones doesn't know where you are? Are you even supposed to be here?"

"I snuck out while he and one of the nurses were distracted. He was driving me insane." She smiled and turned toward the door. "Have a good night."

Jim waited until the door slid shut behind both Lyla and Ensign Simmons before laughing out loud. She'd snuck out of Sickbay without being caught by Bones. He was impressed. And when they were touching, she did not attempt to hide the fact that she was attracted to him. He grinned to himself and stood up to go to bed. It was very possible they were on the verge of war between the Federation and Betazed, but he was feeling pretty damn pleased.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Thank you for all of your reviews and I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on what you like/don't like about this story. Thanks to everyone who has put this story on Story Alert or labeled me as a Favorite Author - it's a great honor. We learn more about the enemy in this chapter and Kirk finally gets a little sugar. Don't worry, he and Lyla are going to get some loving soon enough!

**CHAPTER FIVE**

the door to Hydroponics slid open, Jim was struck by the thought that this might actually be the one room in the entire ship that he had never before entered. The musky scent of soil and vegetation filled the air, the odor balanced by the delicate fragrance of many different blossoms. The room was quiet, a lack of noise interrupted only by the sound of water dripping. He took a moment to appreciate the wild growth of plants – somehow both disorganized and orderly in long aisles on both sides of the door. Flowers in a riot of colors spilled out around him, the different hues of green serving as a striking backdrop, and he believed he understood briefly why Lyla would work with plants – to see the growth of life before your own eyes was impressive. Nature usually impressed him through the vastness of space. It had not occurred to him in many years to stop and appreciate the simplicity of nature in the plants around him.

"Lyla?" He stepped further into the room, not seeing her in his initial glance down each aisle.

"In here." Her voice echoed from a corner and he noticed a door in the corner of the room that was slightly hidden by its white color against the similarly white wall. He walked forward and entered the smaller room, the door sliding shut behind him. Lyla was sitting on a stool, focused on the plant in front her. Jim took a moment to appreciate the view before speaking. Her dark hair was piled haphazardly on top of her head, a few strands escaping to paste against her skin, damp with sweat. This room was significantly warmer than the rest of the greenhouse.

She turned to look at him and smiled. He couldn't help but smile back. "Jim. This is a pleasant surprise."

"I wanted to let you know that we're enroute following the Klingon ships. Chekov is pretty certain that we will be able to track them and hopefully we can get some answers. Admiral Barnett has been updated regarding the situation. We're still waiting to hear what the Betazed formal response will be to the entire situation."

"Thank you for the update." She rubbed her hand against her cheek and a smudge of soil remained when she put her hand back.

"You have a smudge there." Jim gestured toward his own face but fought the urge to wipe it away himself and tucked his thumbs in the back pockets of his pants in an effort to control the compulsion. She gave an embarrassed grimace and rubbed her check, succeeding in only making the smudge worse.

"May I?" He lifted his hand toward her face, waiting for her permission, afraid to cross that line and touch her as intimately as on her face. She nodded and appeared frozen as his thumb carefully wiped the dirt away.

"Thank you." Her voice was quiet and she turned half-way away from him to pat the dirt around another seedling. "I appreciate you taking the time, but you didn't have to come down here and tell me in person. I know you're busy."

"I wanted to check on you." He turned to the other aisle and looked at the small pots neatly organized, tiny green shoots poking up out of dark soil. "Bones told me you told Lwaxana this morning about her mother. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

She sighed and picked up another pot, placing it in front of her. "She took it fairly well. I think that she knew, already, on some level. Her mother's consciousness was so closely intertwined with hers that I'm sure she knew something was wrong. I think I've been taking it far worse. I came down here in an effort to relax. Working with plants always focuses me."

"I'm glad that you're okay." He moved back next to her and leaned against the table, the urge to touch her striking him swiftly. The quiet sorrow in her voice when she spoke of Baril Troi cried out to him, despite the lack of overt emotion on her part. He'd been thinking about touching her for 36 solid hours, and in his book, that showed an amazing amount of self-restraint. Glancing around, he registered that they were alone on a crowded ship – possibly the most alone they could be, and he felt within him that after the events of last evening that she most definitely desired him as much as he desired her.

He took a deep breath and went for it. "I've been doing some thinking."

"Now _that_ is a scary thought, Jim. I hope you didn't strain anything." That husky laugh rolled out and bounced off of the walls in the small room, but he did not respond in kind as he normally would. He reached for her hand then and took it gently in his and the laughter died off slowly. Her eyes darkened, if that was even possible, as his hand pulled her up from the chair.

"I've been thinking about the fact that you're not technically a Starfleet officer right now." Her breathing had accelerated and he pulled her closer to him, his left hand sliding around her waist to rest against the small of her back.

"Technically, no." She was breathless, and her cheeks flushed with pink – a look he had not seen on her before.

"I've been thinking about when I held your hand in the Messhall and how badly I wanted to kiss you." His right hand placed hers against his chest and his fingers slid up to her cheek, cupping her chin, his fingertips wrapping around the back of her head, pushing into that cascade of black hair that shined whenever he saw it.

"I wanted you to kiss me." Her voice had dropped to a husky tenor that shot straight to his groin and his left hand tightened, drawing her body completely flush against his. His eyes were staring straight into hers, that familiar burning building at every point where their bare skin touched.

"Do you still want me to?" His lips were millimeters away from hers, the air from his lungs brushing across her mouth.

"Yes." Her lips moved forward to touch his, the pale pink flesh tentatively rubbing against his own. In the history of first kisses that Jim Kirk had experienced, this was by far one of the most chaste. Slowly and carefully, their lips touched, each exploring and learning the other. She sighed and pulled away long enough to open her eyes, the heavy-lidded look of desire turning the tingle in his stomach to the more familiar feeling of primal want. This time he took the initiative and pressed his lips against hers more forcefully, tightening his grasp on her back and pulling her body against his. He could feel the desire pulsating from her body into his, he imagined he could feel it even through their clothing. As it escalated, he felt his own control slipping, the desire to plunder her mouth and taste every part of it winning out over his desire to take things slow, to savor the sensations. She opened her lips beneath his and her tongue tentatively touched his.

Jim groaned and changed the angle of his head, plunging his tongue into her mouth to devour. He'd never kissed a Betazoid woman before and briefly wondered if they all tasted like honey or if it was simply Lyla that tasted so sweet. His tongue swept through her mouth and she clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders. The soft whimpers emanating from her were heightening his own pleasure and he felt compelled to have her make those same noises again. The burning sensation he had come to identify as her desire was suffusing his entire body, buzzing. His brain became focused on one thing – the woman in front of him.

The distant sound of a door opening in the main Hydroponics Bay brought him back to the present and he relinquished her mouth with great disappointment. She was still clinging to him and for a moment, foolish male pride made him grin. Her mouth was swollen from the force of his assault, her eyes still glazed and heavy-lidded, her breathing heavier than normal. He could feel the heat of her through his own clothing and he knew that she had to feel the arousal between his legs pressing against her. He momentarily paused at the thought that no woman had ever caused him to forget himself during actual work hours - this woman could be his undoing.

"Lyla – we have to stop. Someone could come in." He rubbed his thumb across her lower lip, the flush of arousal turning her ivory skin a pale pink.

She pouted and he did grin at that. Of all the faces he had seen on Lyla Stone so far, playful sex kitten was something new. He liked it. She licked her lips quite deliberately and squeezed his shoulder. "You can't kiss a girl like that and then expect her to recover so quickly."

"Believe me, you're not the only one still recovering."

"I can tell." She smiled at him, then, a full-bodied smile that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with sheer happiness. It was, he was quite sure, the first time he had seen that particular smile on her face and he decided then and there that if a kiss could do that, he would really like to see the smile she would give him if he made love to her.

"I'll…..uh……I'll leave you to your work." He began to back away, as she leaned heavily against the stool she was previously seated on, her expression dazed. Jim was fairly sure that a similar expression was on his own features. He smiled at her then, a happy smile that he realized he had not used in quite a while. "I'll see you soon, Lyla."

She didn't respond, but he could see by the look in her eyes that she was thinking the same as him. He turned to exit into the main Hydroponics Bay, the white door sliding closed behind him with a hiss. And ran smack into Spock and Uhura, who were looking at him with their usual twin expressions of dead-pan and amusement/irritation. "Spock. Uhura. What are you two doing here?"

"Captain." Spock inclined his head slightly. "I was looking for Lt. Stone. I would like to discuss the specifics of the plant that she was working on. Lt. Uhura and I are intrigued by the scientific implications and wish to discuss them in more detail with her."

"I understand. I'm heading back up to the Bridge to monitor our progress on following the Klingons." He nodded at Uhura and moved past her toward the exit from the room.

"Captain." Kirk paused and turned around at Uhura's quietly amused voice. "Yes, Uhura?"

She walked up to him and brushed her hand across his shoulder and rubbed his cheek with her thumb before pulling back. Spock observed them placidly from a few feet away. "You have dirt in a few interesting places, sir. Just wanted to make sure we got that off before you showed up on the bridge." Her eyes were twinkling in a way he had never seen before and he could feel himself blushing, something he had not done in years. He decided to blame it on the heat in the room.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I will……uh……I will see you on the Bridge." He turned around abruptly and practically ran from the room and Uhura's knowing eyes. Uhura turned toward her husband of now approximately 48 hours and smiled slightly. His left eyebrow elevated, he awaited the comment he knew was forthcoming.

"I think our Captain may have finally met his match in Lieutenant Stone."

"I highly doubt," Spock offered with his customary gravity, "That Ms. Stone is of the same caliber of women who the Captain has previously engaged in short-term relationships with, based on my limited interaction with her so far. I find it unlikely that she would become involved with anyone who is not interested in a committed relationship."

"I think you are absolutely right, Spock. And I think Kirk knows that, too. Which is why he was running out of here like a horde of angry Klingons were chasing after him."

"Interesting." He turned toward the door that led toward the seeding room where Lyla was working.

"Husband, you have an amazing talent for condensing commentary on a situation into one perfect word." Her hand brushed against the back of his arm in a comfortable gesture and they walked into the room together.

***********

"Captain, there is a subspace transmission coming for you. It requires your authorization code to view." Commander Ronnok of the House of Karrol kept his voice low. The Captain had been particularly unpleasant to be around since their failure to secure the Stone woman during their attack on the Space Station.

"Transfer it to my ready room. I will view it there." Captain Kogash stood from his seat on the Bridge and moved swiftly to his office. He knew who would be contacting him and they needed to discuss payment for his crew's work in the Neutral Zone. He slid into his chair and typed in his authorization code, watching as the screen blinked and the face of the elderly Betazoid woman filled his vision. Normally he would not have anything to do with these dogs, but Klingon leadership had ordered him to work with her, stating that it was in the best interests of the Empire. He would never admit within the deepest portion of himself that the cold-eyed gaze of the woman in front of him scared him.

"Captain Kogash. I understand that you have failed in a portion of your previous mission." She was as calm as ever, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was furious.

"I did not fail. I obtained the plants and the research for you. The Stone woman is dead, as is the child. Do not insinuate again that I am incapable of doing my job."

"The woman was an integral portion of this mission and you did not obtain her."

"That piece of _plaQta_sealed herself in a weapons locker that we could not open. We destroyed the artificial gravity and atmosphere throughout the Station and left her there to rot. She is dead and floating in space." He slammed his hand down on the desk in front of him. "You will mind your tone with me Betazoid woman. My crew is doing your dirty work. Transmit our payment immediately to the pre-arranged account."

"You will never refer to me as "woman" again, Kogash, or I will kill you myself." She hit a button off-screen and a stream of data flowed across the bottom of his screen. "Transmit the research information to the computer at the coordinates below. I will rendezvous with you at our appointed meeting location in approximately 4 hours and pick up the plants. Then your crew will receive payment and your work will be complete."

He roared his frustration at her lack of respect and bared his teeth. "You are lucky that the Klingon Empire has ordered me to work with you, or I would rip your still-beating heart from your body."

"You would be dead before you even got close to me, Kogash." She smiled at him then, the cold smile of a reptile that brought a cold sensation to his gut. This woman was a killer. "And you are a fool. If Lt. Stone is still alive, I promise you, you will not live to see your next Day of Honor." The transmission ended abruptly and he slammed his fist against the desk in front of him again. The Klingon Empire must be obtaining something very valuable for not killing that _ptaQ_ immediately. Her disrespectful tone alone was enough to spur him into physical violence. He could not wait until his cargo was away and that woman out of his life.

***********

"Captain, long-range sensors indicate that the Klingon ships have stopped." Chekov turned in his seat to face Kirk, seated his chair upon the Bridge. "They appear to be holding orbit around a small moon."

"How long until we reach the location?"

"Approximately 5 minutes, sir." Sulu turned his seat to face them both. "The system where they are located is not large, but Chekov and I believe we can exit warp speed behind another moon and remain hidden from their sensors for a short period of time."

"Excellent, Mr. Sulu. We need to find out what these Klingons are up to, and I don't want to get into a firefight with three Warbirds." Kirk hit the communications panel on his chair. "Bridge to Commander Spock."

"Go ahead, Captain." Spock responded promptly, as always.

"Please report to the Bridge immediately. If Uhura and Stone are with you, please bring them as well."

"Both of the Lieutenants are with me, Captain. We are on our way. Spock out." The communications panel beeped again and Kirk turned to his pilot and navigator.

"How long do you think we can remain hidden from their sensors?"

"Considering the standard capabilities of a Klingon Warbird, Captain, the natural polarity of the moon, and the size of our ship, we could theoretically maintain our hidden status indefinitely. However, if there is a change in atmospheric pressure of any kind, a solar flare from the system's star, anything that changes the sensor readings on their ship, we could become visible." Chekov was apologetic. "I'm afraid that I cannot guarantee anything, Captain."

"That's fine, Chekov. I know it's not an exact science. Good work." The turbolift door slid open and Spock, Uhura, and Lyla walked onto the bridge. Jim made a valiant effort, but he couldn't help that his eyes lingered for a long second on her legs in the blue jumpsuit, or on the dark color of the eyes that held his gaze momentarily.

"Thank you for joining us."

"Approaching the location in 30 seconds, Captain." Sulu placed his hand on the warp control as Spock and Uhura took their customary seats. Lyla was braced against the railing behind him and he fought the urge to turn around and tell her to be careful.

"Bring us in nice and gentle, Mr. Sulu."

"Aye, Captain. Dropping out of warp in 3….2….1." The ship slowed to an abrupt halt, the viewscreen filled with the dark surface of a small moon.

"We are in orbit around Vorgon 4, Captain." Chekov's hands flew across his console. "I have not detected any change in the Klingon ships to indicate they are aware of our presence."

"Excellent work, gentlemen. Uhura." Kirk stood up and walked to her Station. "We need to hear what those Klingons are talking about – what can you do about that?"

"Not a problem, Captain." Her hand reached up to flip several switches on her console. "I'm picking up a series of transmissions from all three of the ships. They are definitely waiting to meet someone, but it is unclear who."

"Captain, I am detecting the approach of another ship." Chekov paused as if in shock and then turned to look at the Captain and Lyla. "It is a Betazoid ship, sir."

"What?" Lyla's outraged whisper carried farther than she had most likely intended. Jim's eyes met her in mutual anger.

"Mr. Sulu, can you maneuver us to a position where we can see what we're dealing with here?"

"Yes, Captain. Thrusters all ahead, full." Sulu easily maneuvered the ship around the horizon of the small moon and in only a few moments, the three Klingon Warbirds were visible in orbit on the other side of the planetoid. A fourth ship was approaching, its elegant design and dramatic color identifying it as Betazoid. Jim noticed Lyla's fingers grasping the railing in front of her so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, but did not say anything. He was as shocked and confused as the rest of them.

"Sir, I'm picking up a transmission between the Betazoid ship and one of the Klingon ships."

"Put it on speaker. "

A fuzzy white noise filled the Bridge before two distinct voices began to speak in mid-sentence. "---finish beaming the plants to my ship and we will discuss payment." A cultured female voice was clearly in charge but the Klingon responding was harshly fighting her control.

"My Chief Engineer has confirmed that they are onboard your ship. Transmit the funds to the account immediately or we will take your ship and take them by force."

"You will have your reward." The female voice was quiet but spoke with authority.

"Captain!" Chekov's voice had a tendency to become excitable when something happened. "The Betazoid ship is firing on all three of the Klingon Warbirds."

"What?" Kirk stood up in shock from his seat. "No Betazoid ship could destroy three Warbirds at once." His gaze returned to the viewing screen in time for the entire Bridge crew to watch in stunned horror as all three Warbirds were destroyed in a hail of fire from the obviously well-armed Betazoid cruiser. No one moved at this shocking turn of events.

"Captain." Uhura's voice broke the silence, but it was the strange tone that caught everyone's attention. Kirk turned to look at her, but her eyes were fixated on the screen in front of her.

"What is it?"

"The Betazoid ship is hailing us." Uhura looked shocked.

"Lyla, I need you to go into the ready room. There is no reason whoever this is needs to know that you're alive." She nodded and walked briskly out of the room. "Uhura, on screen."

The image of an older woman appeared. She had at one time most likely been a great beauty. Once black hair was now tinted with silver, but continued to appear distinguished. Strangely, Kirk found her to look familiar in some way. The dark Betazoid eyes gazed at him, confirming her heritage.

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise. With whom am I speaking?" He stepped toward the viewscreen.

"You may call me Majel, Captain Kirk." She smiled at him then, but it was more menacing than friendly – reminiscent of a crocodile's smile before killing its prey. He fought the sickening feeling in his stomach. "And I don't believe we need to waste any time on pleasantries. You have something I want and I will be leaving with it, whether you cooperate or not."

"I don't respond well to threats, Majel." He frowned at her and noted that Spock had similarly stood up behind him in a show of solidarity. "The ships your vessel just destroyed were involved in an unprovoked attack on a Federation space station. We know that they transferred Starfleet property to your vessel before your attack and we want it back."

"Captain Kirk, I do not have time to play games with you. I am a busy woman with a schedule to keep. I know that Lyla Stone survived the attack on the space station and that she is on your ship. I want you to beam her over to my ship immediately or I will destroy your vessel." Kirk's blood ran cold and it took everything within him to keep his facial features from betraying his shock at her demand. Everything within him was screaming to run away as fast as possible and take Lyla with him. Shock was quickly replaced by anger.

"I don't know who you think you are, but in case you haven't noticed, my ship is significantly larger than yours and is heavily defended." Kirk's tone took on a menacing quality and he moved toward the screen, as if his physical presence could make a difference in the conversation even through the viewscreen. "I have no intention of sending any Starfleet officer to your vessel. You will relinquish the Starfleet property in your control or we will board your ship and take it back by force."

"Then you leave me no choice, Captain." The transmission abruptly terminated.

Chekov's voice came out quickly. "Captain, her ship is locking weapons."

"All power to the forward shields. Prepare to fire on my command." Kirk took his seat in the Captain's chair and braced his arms. "If she wants a fight, then by God, she's going to get one."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

A spread of heavy firepower burst forth from the Betazoid ship, striking the Enterprise and knocking several members of the Bridge crew to the ground. Kirk's fingers dug into his chair, holding him in place even as he watched Chekov pick himself up off the ground and sit down again. The red alert siren wailed and lights flashed, but Kirk found his focus narrowing as it did during emergencies to the view screen in front of him. His concentration focused and crystallized, as if he were seeing everything in slow motion – allowing him the time to absorb the varied information coming at him from every corner of the Bridge and respond appropriately.

"Our shields are at 65% and holding." Sulu's fingers flew across the panel in front of him.

"Evasive pattern Delta Five. Fire full spread." Kirk could feel his fingers digging into the chair arms and he forced himself to relax and focus. Jim had to focus or he couldn't save his ship – couldn't save Lyla. Both of those outcomes were unacceptable to him. On the screen in front of him, photon torpedoes exploded against the outer hull of the Betazoid ship.

"Minimal damage has been inflicted on the Betazoid ship, sir. It appears to have some kind of advanced shielding." Chekov turned partially to look at him. "I am unsure what material it is, Captain, but our photon torpedoes are having difficulty penetrating it."

"Mr. Sulu, fire everything we have at that vessel."

"Aye, Captain."

"Incoming weapons fire."

"Casualties reported on Decks 6 and 13, sir." The myriad voices calling out to him with reports were interrupted when the ship rocked again under fire from Majel's vessel. The red alert siren continued to wail in the background.

"Our shields have dropped to 25%, Captain." Kirk could feel the internal tightening in his stomach at Sulu's words. The small ship was tougher than it looked.

"Divert all power from the rear shields to phasers and fire everything we have at the same time. Target her engines."

"Captain, four Klingon Warbirds have dropped out of Warp." Even as Kirk registered Spock's words, he saw the ships appear, arriving smack in the middle of battle. As much as he trusted his ship, believed in her ability to win, he did not want to fight four Klingon Warbirds and a heavily armored Betazoid cruiser at the same time – not when their shields were already depleted.

"Captain," Uhura turned toward him, her quiet voice capable of penetrating the pandemonium of a Bridge in the middle of battle. "Majel's ship is hailing us."

"Onscreen." Kirk knew his face was twisted into a permanent scowl, but he made no attempt to hide his anger at the woman whose eerily smiling face appeared once again. Activity and noise on the Bridge ceased as all watched the conversation.

"Captain Kirk, as you can see, the odds in this engagement have significantly changed. Even you will have to agree that the balance has tipped in my favor." The mocking grin disappeared and she glared at him, all her anger now apparent. "Send Lyla Stone to my ship or I will gladly participate alongside these Klingon Warbirds in destroying your vessel."

"I will not beam any Starfleet Officer over to your ship. The odds may have changed, Majel. But that doesn't change the fact that I still don't respond well to threats. You'd be wise to remember that. If those Klingon ships fire on my ship, it will be construed as an act of war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Are you quite certain they are willing to risk that to help you?"

"You are young and stupid." Majel gave up all pretense at politeness and sneered at him. "I don't make idle threats, boy. Give me Lyla or I will destroy you."

"Sorry." Kirk couldn't resist the urge and gave her the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster. "As a standing rule I don't deal with people who insist on calling me 'boy'." He nodded toward Uhura, who cut off the communication immediately. "Mr. Sulu, take us to Warp immediately. Set a course for Betazed." He stood up. "Punch it now!"

"The Klingon ships are firing, Captain." Spock's pronouncement was issued in the same tone he would announce breakfast in. Kirk watched as a volley of torpedoes from all five ships headed toward the Enterprise, waiting for the impact – but it never came. With minimal ceremony, Sulu warped the Enterprise out of the battleground. The entire Bridge sighed in relief as the adrenaline of the battle began to wear off.

"Sir, neither the Klingon ships nor the Betazoid ship appear to be in pursuit."

************

"What the hell just happened out there?" McCoy's hands were clenched tightly in front of him on the briefing table. "Did we or did we not just get fired on by a Betazoid ship – the same planet we've been trying to preserve our relationship with?"

"I believe I can explain that, Doctor." Lyla spoke up quietly from the seat at the end of the table where she had been silent up to this point, seemingly almost in a daze since Kirk asked her if she had any idea what was happening.

"Please, Lt. Stone. Enlighten us." Kirk shot McCoy a glare at the derogatory tone in his voice but couldn't ignore the fact that it was damn irritating when the very people they were trying to stay friendly with were apparently same ones assassinating Ambassadors and telling Klingon Warbirds to blow up Federation space stations. The irritation he felt, however, could not overpower the urge within him to comfort Lyla when he saw the stricken look on her face. Forgetting momentarily that his entire command staff was present, he placed his hand on hers in an attempt to comfort her. While it was a platonic gesture, nonetheless, he felt the familiar zing of emotion rush through them both and her small yet relieved smile forced an answering one on his own face. When she turned her head toward the rest of the table to speak, he retracted his own hand and chose to ignore the amused glances of most of his staff and Bones' standard response of rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"The woman who spoke to you, I know her. I never thought I would see her in person, but I know her face from photos and video." Her eyes drifted off, as if she was lost in thought momentarily. But she shook her head and began speaking again. "Her name is Majel Troi, and she was the eldest daughter of the Matriarch of Betazed."

"What?" Now Kirk was really confused. As far as he had known, Baril was the Matriarch's only daughter. "Why hasn't anyone ever heard of her?"

"She was banished from the Matriarchal royal family almost 70 years ago for marrying a human – it was considered highly offensive to the royal bloodline. An insult. If a member of the royal family were to do so now, she would be prohibited from assuming the throne but would not be banished. At the time, however, Majel was forced to leave the planet and all record of her existence was expunged from Betazoid records. Her name became a forbidden word. In essence, the High Council ordered the extermination of her very existence as retribution for her actions."

"Then how do you know about her?" Chekov looked at her, his face openly confused.

"Because she's my Grandmother." Lyla's sentence was spoken in a hushed whisper, but it was heard by each person sitting at the table.

"Your Grandmother?" Sulu looked just as dazed as Lyla. Kirk felt his head about to spin, but couldn't look away from the devastated look on Lyla's face. Her eyes were dark and shuttered, her skin pale with what he believed was extreme shock.

"Lyla," he spoke gently, afraid of startling her when she was so clearly already in distress. "Did you know she was alive before today?"

"No." She spoke quickly and her head whipped up, her eyes wide and begging them all to believe her. "She died, or we believed she died, almost forty years ago in a shuttle crash. She was on Rygel 7. I don't know why she was there, but her shuttle crashed into a landing dock and all hands onboard were killed. My grandfather retrieved her remains and she is buried on Earth. I've been to her grave myself."

"Then how did a woman who has been dead for almost forty years show up on an advanced cruiser in the middle of space?"

"She has to be the one directing this." Lyla's eyes closed in pain at the thought, but she voiced what they were all thinking. "She ordered Baril's the assassination and the attack on the Suwayda."

"But whY? She's been hiding from the Universe for forty years. Why make a move now and take out her own sister?" Uhura still looked a little startled at the revelations coming out of the meeting, but she did not reach across the table to hold Lyla's hands as before. She had seen Kirk's hand twitching to pick Lyla's up again and she wasn't ashamed to admit she felt a perverse pleasure in watching to see if he would be willing to do it again in front of everyone in the room. She was convinced the man was beginning to fall for Lyla, and she could not wait to see the fireworks that were going to happen when he realized she wasn't a fling type of woman.

"Captain," Spock smoothly entered the conversation. "I believe we can safely assume that Majel Troi has some intentions toward the Matriarchal throne of Betazed. She is of the royal bloodline, despite her banishment, has disposed of the other possible heirs, and clearly has allies and funding that we were previously unaware of."

"Spock is right." Lyla's color was returning and she looked at the science officer speculatively. "Matriarch Sabhanna is 109 years old this year. According to Betazoid tradition, she would begin grooming her successor and quietly retire next year. Baril was being recalled to Betazed within the next three months. The most exposed she would have been was on Earth. The window for an attack was closing. And now Majel is the only full-blooded member of the royal family still alive – that she knows of."

Uhura's eyes widened. "Lwaxana."

Lyla nodded vigorously. "Yes. Lwaxana is the sole acknowledged heir to the Betazoid throne now that Baril is dead."

"What about you?" Chekov interrupted. "You're descended from the Matriarch through Majel, aren't you?"

"My blood is too diluted. Only a full-blooded Betazoid woman can be the Matriarch, and I am only one-quarter Betazoid. A new royal family would be installed before I would be allowed anywhere near the throne."

"Well, it looks like she's making a play for the throne that she thinks belongs to her." McCoy stared at Lyla as if she knew all the answers. "The question is – what are we going to do about it?"

"We're involved now, whether we like it or not." Kirk began to pace at the front of the room as his mind ran forward, considering plans and discarding them. "She's identified our ship and she knows Lyla is on-board, even if she didn't visually confirm it. We can only speculate that her reasoning for wanting you has something to do with the plant you've been working with."

"It would be logical to assume that, Captain." Spock's next words were interrupted by a trill from the Communications panel.

"Bridge to the Captain."

"Go ahead, Ensign Odon." There was a pause and the Ensign's voice came back. "There is a subspace transmission coming in from Admiral Barnett, sir. He requested to speak with you privately."

"Transfer him to my quarters." Kirk turned to the rest of the room. "I'm going to update Admiral Barnett and we'll reconvene here in an hour."

******************

When Lt. Briggs walked past him in the corridor, Jim realized he had been standing outside of the door leading to Lyla's guest quarters for over five minutes. The ship was quiet for the evening, six hours away from its destination at the planet Betazed. Admiral Barnett had immediately ordered Kirk and the Enterprise to head for Betazed to explain the situation and hopefully reintroduce Betazed into the Federation Council – a decision they hoped would be agreed upon following the safe return of Matriarch Sabhanna's surviving granddaughter. Lyla was being called upon to use her familial connection to gain access to the Matriarch on a planet where personnel associated with the Federation had essentially been declared _persona non grata_. Kirk had sent the entire command staff to bed to get some much-needed rest. So why was he standing outside of Lyla's door at 0100 contemplating knocking when he should be in his own bunk getting as much sleep as possible?

The answer, he finally realized with a start, was fairly simple. The devastated look on Lyla's face when she finally exited the bridge had caused him to worry for the next straight two hours as Kirk had holed himself up in his office in an ultimately vain attempt to get work done. Plus, he was willing to admit, from a purely selfish perspective, that the kiss in Hydroponics had been driving him insane for nearly 12 hours and he desperately wanted to feel her body against his since that moment. When she entered a room now, he felt it difficult to look away. He found himself inventing reasons to brush up against her during the day to feel that buzz that he knew was her desire trickling through her skin to his. Like an addict, he was beginning to crave her touch. Part of him wanted to shake his own head at the situation and the other half couldn't help but marvel silently at the woman who in less than three days, was tantalizing him. Was she even still awake at 0100? Jim shook his head and reached forward, pressing his finger briefly against the chime next to the door.

A rustling noise moved behind the door before it slid open to reveal Lyla dressed in a tank top and slim sweat pants, her hair pulled haphazardly into a ponytail. She was not, however, rubbing sleep out of her eyes or looking in any way, shape, or form as if she had just been woken up. Jim noted that with a mental smile. Maybe he wasn't the only one having trouble forgetting what happened in Hydroponics.

"Jim?" She looked pleasantly surprised and he was glad to see the wide smile from the afternoon stretch across her face again. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting some sleep?"

"May I come in?" He inclined head toward the door but kept his thumbs firmly tucked in his back pockets. The itch to touch her seemed to strike at odd moments and he'd been making the effort to physically restrain himself lately lest he push his chances with the "accidental" brushes too far at one point.

"Of course." She moved to the side and let him walk past her into the small guest room. The door slid shut behind him and he couldn't shake the feeling that the room was suddenly warmer with just the two of them in it, tucked away in a far corner of the ship. He walked to the small window and watched the stars streaking by outside, aware of her moving to sit on the bed with one leg tucked under her.

"How are you?"

"How am I?" He laughed disbelievingly and turned to her. "I'm not the one whose long-lost grandmother suddenly reappeared and is apparently responsible for the death of her coworkers, her great aunt, and who wants to kidnap her for some unknown reason. How can you ask me that?"

Lyle's face had gone pale when he began to spew out Majel's actions, but she quickly regained her equilibrium and stood up swiftly when he finished. She strode forward and poked him in the chest with her finger harshly. "Because while those things are all true, I am under your protection and you are the one who ultimately the success of everything rides on. I was worried about your peace of mind, dammit! Forgive me for caring."

Her voice had risen and her words were punctuated with repeated stabbings of the finger in his chest, but he didn't really notice as he realized her anger was spilling out due to concern over him. It made a ridiculous smile come over his face, which only served to irritate her more. "What are you smiling at? You think this is funny? Do you know how hard it will be to get the Matriarch to even speak to you? Do you realize –"

Lyla's words ended abruptly when he reached his hands out to grasp her arms firmly and hauled her up against him, covering her mouth with his, ending the conversation. The connection flared between their skin and she moaned instantly against him, the heat surging between them, breaking and retreating, only to surge once more. His mouth devoured hers, tongue plunging into her mouth in a silent display of what his body wanted to do to hers later. Lyla wrapped her arms around him tightly, the fingers of her hand slipping into the hair on the back of his neck, teasing him.

Jim groaned and pulled back, peppering her face with kisses. "You are the most confusing woman I've ever met."

She was dazed and leaning on him for support, but she pulled back to look at him strangely. "Thank you?" It was a question, not a statement, and he chuckled softly before leaning in to kiss her slowly and softly this time, their lips rubbing together.

"I meant it as a compliment." His hands were running up and down her bare arms, thumbs sweeping carefully to caress the edges of her breasts when his hands ventured close enough. She shivered in his arms and let her head fall back so that he could nibble upon her neck, lips and tongue tasting and savoring the snowy white column in front of him. "You muddle my mind, make me forget everything in the room except for you." Kirk nipped the spot where her shoulder and neck met and then soothed the spot with his tongue.

"You're exasperating." She didn't respond, lost in a sea of physical touch and sensation. His hands moved to her back, slipping under the bottom edge of her tank top, drawing figure eights above the waistband of her pants. "You're mystifying." Her hands were sliding down, gripping the bottom of his shirt and sliding underneath.

Jim groaned when her fingers traced the muscles in his lower back, the touch of her fingertips trailing fire across his skin. He paused and let her go, ignoring the small protest issued from her throat, to grasp the bottom of his two shirts and pulling them over his head, revealing his chest. Her heavy-lidded eyes widened momentarily and then shut half-way again, her hands sliding forward to trace his chest. "You're delicious," he mumbled against her mouth, his bare arms wrapping around her again, pinning her arms between her own chest and his bare one. Mouths rubbing, tongues intertwined, he felt himself actually whimper lightly when her fingernails traced around his nipples in gentle exploration.

"You taste good," she mumbled against his mouth and he felt himself tilt his own head back as her mouth lay kisses against his jawline, slipping down to nibble on an earlobe. "You make me forget myself, Mr. Kirk." She whispered into his ear and then began to kiss her way down his threat, the scratchy bit of beard that had grown in over the last few days delicately scraping against the skin of her face.

"You make me forget myself. I can't look away when you're in a room." Jim let his hands drift lower, ghosting over the front of her breasts, palms lightly grazing her nipples, to the bottom of her tank top. Fingers grasping the edge of the material, he slid it up slowly, enjoying the feel of her body shivering where the material rubbed against her sensitive skin. Ripping her lips away from his throat, she leaned her head back and lifted her arms up as he pulled the shirt up and over her, revealing her bare chest.

Kirk felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her topless body in front of him. He had seen a lot of beautiful womens' bodies, but Lyla's was gleaming at him in pale, milky perfection, the dusky rose tips of her nipples hard and pointing at him, tempting him. She hesitated momentarily and then reached for him, fastening her hands around his head and pulling him into a kiss. Her nipples scraped against his chest, torturing him as he realized how turned on she was for him. The buzzing connection was building to crescendo within him, their skin on fire. Kirk was sure in the right light they could be seen to be glowing. Lyla's mouth became more demanding as she devoured him, her hands sliding and testing. Jim slipped his hands to her front, cupping her breasts and touching them carefully, smoothing around them and learning her curves. She seemed to lose concentration and her head leaned back as she breathed heavily. "Jim."

His name was a breathless whisper on her lips and he leaned down to capture one turgid nipple in his mouth, the peak straining toward him. The angle was awkward with them both standing, but he absorbed her gasps of pleasure with no small amount of male pride and listened to the moans issuing quietly from her mouth as he worried the small nub with his lips, teeth, and tongue. Kirk stopped long enough to observe the pink flush that seemed to have suffused her body, her chest heaving from heavy breathing, and he pulled her toward the edge of the bed, her body seemingly responding without thought or care. She sank down to a seated position as he knelt between her legs, his mouth even with her chest, and he repeated the gesture.

Jim's hands were urging her to lie back upon the bed, his own form following hers. She scooted back on the small bunk, and he slowly crawled up above her, his arms keeping him up so that he could observe her below him, her chest heaving with harsh breathing – his own breathing was none too in control at the moment. She was gazing up at him, her eyes questioning but gleaming with affection and he felt himself halt momentarily. He knew that Lyla was not the type of woman who would accept a quick lay and then walk away and he wasn't sure if he wanted to do that to someone who had so easily engaged his mind as well as his body. She must have sensed his hesitation, because her hand smoothed up his chest and she whispered, "Jim." Kirk paused, his body telling him to move forward, but he turned instead and sat upon the bed, facing away from her, his back hunched over. Isn't this what he had just been thinking about at the wedding? Didn't he want a real relationship with a woman instead of just a quick fuck?

Her hands smoothed over his arms and he felt her chest press against his bare back as she placed a gentle kiss upon his shoulder. He shuddered at the sensation and could feel the arousal in his body spring back into place. Jim turned his head toward hers and caught her lips in a gentle kiss, the furious desire in both of their bodies leaping through the strange emotional connection they seemed to share – a connection Lyla did not seem to feel with anyone else on board the ship. "Jim, I know what you're thinking."

He didn't respond, but he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers in quiet acknowledgment. "You're thinking that this could be a mistake. You're thinking that I would demand something from you that you might not be willing to give." She paused and placed a soft kiss on his forehead before placing her head against his again. "I'm not asking you for anything you are unwilling to give. We have a connection that I've never shared with anyone before and I know from that connection that you are a good man who cares about me."

Jim opened his blue eyes to meet her dark ones. "Jim, I'm not asking you for anything tonight. If you want to come to me and meet as equals, to explore what's happening between us, then I will meet you halfway. If you want to walk out that door and become simply a commander and a subordinate officer, I will gladly do so. Tell me what you want."

Jim swallowed and paused to absorb the feel of her truth and emotion pulsing through their connection. There were no words between them now, only sensation and honesty. He sighed and realized that taking all the leaps in the world professionally were worth nothing if you couldn't leap personally. To possibly open yourself up to another person was the greatest leap and one he had been unwilling to take a risk for yet. If he ever wanted the great love like his parents had, like Uhura and Spock, and so many other people he admired from a distance, he had to take the leap – open himself up for pain and grief. Only then would he be open to joy and love. Jim opened his eyes and looked at her again. His voice was hoarse but honest.

"You. I want you, Lyla."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Lyla didn't respond vocally to his declaration, his decision to take what she offered, choosing instead to press her lips gently against his in an act of acceptance. Her right hand slid down to grasp his, their fingers intertwining. Jim did not have to try very hard to push down his own personal fears of opening himself up for heartache when she was kissing him so softly, her hand gripped in his, offering him her strength. He had always been the strong one, even as a child – his mother had never really recovered from his father's death and was always emotionally fragile. It fell to him to be the strong one – the one who could handle the emotional baggage life freely gave away. But now Lyla sat before him, wrapped around him, her support freely given, with no strings attached. She wasn't asking for anything, but he felt the urge to give it anyway. Perhaps it was the caring tone in her voice as she offered, or maybe it was the fire and anger as she expressed her own concern over his well-being. Whatever it was, Jim acknowledged within himself that he felt something stirring within him for Lyla. Emotions he couldn't quantify – that scared him on an inner level. His focus was drawn away from his thoughts as Lyla's lips left his to press light kisses on his eyelids, his cheeks, his jawline.

Jim turned in his seated position, his right hand slipping from her tight grip to slide up her left arm. She sighed in contentment and her eyes slid shut. His lips found her shoulder and kissed the minor mark left after McCoy's surgery. Eventually she would have no scarring at all – even now it was difficult to see. But it reminded him of her strength in the face of certain death, and he had to show her in some small way that he wanted to make the same offer to her. He wanted to help her bear the burden of the death of her coworkers, of the children she attempted to protect, of the personal guilt she bore over her grandmother's involvement. She cared about him, what happened to him and how he felt – and for the first time he felt himself worry about those same things in someone else's life.

Lyla began to recline onto the bed and he followed, his arms lifting him above her. His lips trailed down her flesh, seeking to explore and examine. Her hands traced the lines of his chest, learning his shape. Her breathing grew heavier and he felt himself respond, the coil of desire building in the lowest portion of his stomach, between his legs. His tongue circled around her navel and she jumped, an almost giggle escaping. He glanced up at her and smiled crookedly, as the fingers of her right hand searched through his hair and she smiled back at him. Jim kissed the flesh of her stomach above the waistband of her pants and then snagged the edges with his fingers, dragging the material of her pants down her long legs to drop them on the floor.

She wasn't wearing undergarments, and he breathed in the scent of her. She was splayed out in front of him, bare to his gaze, and he felt his own world tilt slightly. Lyla's gaze was upon him, unafraid and unashamed of her nudity. Jim stood quickly and shed his own clothing before lying down next to her on his side, his right hand sliding down the outside of her thigh. She sighed again and her eyes closed, her mouth turning toward him. His bare flesh against hers was burning, not unpleasantly. He had become accustomed to the link between the two of them and marveled at the intensity of it when they were both bare and pressed against each other.

"Jim." She whispered quietly and her hand trailed down his chest to his stomach and beyond. Fingers wrapped around his length, exploring, learning. He felt his hand tighten on her thigh and a short moan issue from his throat at the sensation. Her fingertips trailed over him again and he leaned forward to capture her mouth with his own, attempting to convey his appreciation, the blossoming feelings within him without words.

"Lyla, you don't know what you're doing to me."

"I have a pretty good idea." She smiled coyly at him and he grinned - the sex kitten was back. The careful exploration and gentle touches were suddenly not enough and he kissed her harder, forcing her mouth open to receive his tongue. Her hand tightened around him involuntarily and he groaned, his fingers sliding up the inside of her thigh. Restless hips moved against him and his fingers touched her, finding her wet and aroused. Jim knew how to do this dance – he'd been taught by more women than he cared to admit to.

"I want to make it good for you, dark eyes." His fingertips slid across the bundle of nerves at her center and she cried out softly, her hips jerking, her hand reflexively squeezing him again. He thrust against her thigh sharply and she pressed her lips to his. He used everything he had learned, everything he had ever been taught, and her body bowed like a reed upon a windy pond, her hands clutching at his chest, her breathing heavy, before she crested and cried out softly, her eyes squeezed shut and her arms going around him.

"Please." He wasn't quite sure what she was asking for, but he couldn't wait any longer. He moved between her legs, the scent of her driving him slightly mad. He was hard as a rock, his length rubbing against her silky opening, and he paused only to tangle his fingers with hers again and catch her eyes with his own before sliding into her in one long stroke. They both groaned, and Lyla's legs slid up to his hips, her knees bent, taking him even deeper. "God, Jim."

"I know." Her eyes were wide and glistening, and he focused on those as he began to move. She whimpered loudly and her hips began to surge forward to meet his. At this pace, he wasn't going to last long. She wrapped a blanket of heat around him, her fingers tightly clenching his, refusing to let go. His thrusts became demanding – he'd been fighting his desire for this woman and he couldn't hold it off any longer. The heat was building between them, her emotions surging into him, the sensations of pleasure, the affection and emotion she felt toward him. Even the possible love that gleamed in her eyes, unspoken. With a harsh noise he barely recognized from his own throat, his hand left hers and his arms wrapped around her, his hands pulling down on her shoulders. He filled her completely over and over again, his body attempting to show her what he could not articulate vocally. That somehow she had penetrated the very hard shell he had been building and maintaining for so long.

She was chanting his name softly, her hips snapping against his, her hands scrabbling around his back, searching for something to hold onto, to weather the storm of emotions surging between the two of them. Their chests pressed firmly against each other, he surged into her once more and felt her body tighten around his, her head tilted back, her mouth open in a soundless cry. Jim buried his head in the spot between her neck and shoulder, thrust one more time, and let himself go.

He slowly came back to the bed they were lying in, his mind momentarily absent from the sensation of his orgasm. Lyla's fingertips slid slowly along his back, swirling in an unplanned pattern. He pressed his lips against her neck and lifted his head, their eyes meeting. She smiled wide, and he was right – this happy smile topped even the one in Hydroponics. It didn't even scare him when he realized that he could very happily see that smile aimed at him every day for the rest of his life.

*************

Jim lay comfortably, his arms wrapped around Lyla, her back pressed to his chest. She was curled up slightly, her fatigue at their earlier activities helping her to drift off immediately. He appreciated the fact that she had not felt the need to discuss or dissect their earlier actions, instead her lips had sought his out and then her eyes had slid shut almost involuntarily. He needed time to think, to dissect the thoughts and feelings that were running through him and had been since their encounter. Jim was wrapped around her now, savoring the feel of her skin against his – that burn of desire momentarily dampened by their consummation. She shifted against him and he knew from the change in her breathing that she was awake.

"Is it wrong of me to feel so good when so many awful things are happening around us?" She did not turn to face him, her soft voice carrying over, but she tilted her head to the side as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

He smirked against the side of her neck, knowing she could feel his grin against her skin. "There's be something wrong if you'd just done that with me and _didn't_ feel good."

She laughed involuntarily and he felt a sense of pride that he had done that. "No." He pulled her closer to him and took one of her hands in his own. "You can't dwell on it. We may only have this one moment in time and you can't spend it thinking about the people who aren't in this room."

"I can't stop thinking about them." She paused. "Except when I'm with you. When you're with me, it all falls to the side and I do feel good. Happy."

"Good." He pressed another kiss to the side of her neck and his palm slid up to cup her breast. Lyla moaned and moved her hips restlessly, pressing her backside against his growing erection. He groaned and his hands reflexively tightened around her. "You make me happy, too, dark eyes."

Jim smoothed his hand down the outside of her thigh, stopping at her knee to lift her leg up and back over his. She whimpered in anticipation and he slid his hand down the front of her body, finding her wet and ready for him. His arms wrapping around her again, keeping her back to his chest, he slid into her slowly, taking his time. Before they had been so rushed, so consumed by the fire between them he could not take the time to appreciate the sensation of being inside her, of sliding between her legs, of her body accepting and adjusting to his own. Hips moving slowly, he kissed a line down the side of her neck and shoulder, listening to her breath as it hitched, feeling her hands sliding along his arms. "I want to know every inch of you, to explore it." His voice has harsh against her skin, his breathing heavy as the lust within him began to build. "This might be my only chance."

"Yes." Her voice hissed out, her lungs constricted as she fought to maintain the slow pace he had set. His fingers released her hands and slid down the front of her body, fingertips rubbing slowly against her, seeking out her center and teasing. A sob burst out of her throat. "Please, Jim. Stop teasing me." He didn't respond, but his hips moved faster, his length slamming into her roughly. She groaned and pressed back, her body tightening around his. Lyla reached her hand back to wrap around his hip and grip his ass, pulling him into her. "Harder."

Jim wrapped his arms around her and drove himself into her harshly. A cry of pleasure issued and she gripped him tighter. All thoughts of slow and measured leaving him, he surged into her again and again, the room filled with the sound of skin meeting and harsh breathing. He felt the rush of sensation to his groin and slammed into her, driving her to meet him, to climax with him. Fingers brushed against her core and she spasmed, her hips slamming into his and her body tightening around him, squeezing him. With a quiet roar, Jim crashed into her, his mind and body feeling as if they were separating momentarily. He slumped against her, his arms limply folded around her, all energy sapped from his body.

Suddenly, Lyla giggled. "You know, I heard rumors about you, Jim Kirk."

"Oh, yeah?" His eyebrow raised in a move he felt eerily reminiscent of Spock, he turned his head to look into her eyes. "What rumors?"

"Rumors about your, shall we say, "prowess" in the bedroom." She wiggled her eyebrows and smirked. "Girls at the Academy who said you knew how to show a girl a good time."

"Uh-huh." He hadn't been the most discreet, but he certainly hadn't fucked the whole Academy. He wondered who she heard something from and was inexplicably worried she might be judging him right now. Jim wondered silently why he suddenly cared what one woman thought about his previous escapades.

"But you know what I figured out just now?"

"What?"

"They were full of it." She kissed his chin and then smiled at him with a saucy wink. "Because you sure know how to show a girl one helluva great time."

"Damn straight." He smirked and rolled on top of her. "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into kiss him thoroughly. "I eagerly await your demonstration, Captain."

He made a sad face at her. "Are you sure you don't need to get some sleep, _Lieutenant_?"

"If you can do it, I can do it."

"Oh, baby." He kissed her back with the same intensity. "I can _definitely_ do it."

*************

The door to the Bridge slid open and Kirk stepped to the side to allow Lyla to step out in front of him. He silently acknowledged that it was partly manners, but mostly a desire to see her ass walk in front of him in that blue jumper he was quickly becoming very fond of. He pulled the collar of his shirt away from his throat, even though it wasn't tight, and for the first time since he was sixteen he had the distinct impression that everyone in the room could tell that he had just had sex. Had sex _several_ times. Lyla appeared as calm and collected as ever, her few short hours of sleep and shower leaving her as renewed as if she had not nearly been killed 48 hours earlier. Kirk walked toward the command chair, seating himself as Lyla stepped behind him to the railing.

"Captain, we are approaching Betazed and will be dropping out of warp in two minutes."

"Thank you, Mr. Sulu." He turned his chair. "Lt. Uhura, please hail the Betazed High Council as soon as we drop out of warp. We want to immediately begin discussions to try and avoid any possible misunderstandings."

"Aye, Captain." She turned in her seat, fingers moving.

Lyla spoke up. "Captain, I do not wish to impose, but I believe it would be better if I immediately began speaking with whoever answers the hail. From what Admiral Barnett told you, Starfleet personnel are not welcome on Betazed right now and it could just cause those misunderstandings if they don't realize right away that I am here to speak on your behalf."

"Agreed, Lieutenant." He tried to ignore the fact that when he said her rank he blushed faintly at the thought of what he'd been doing the last time he called her that. It was damn irritating to feel like a teenager again.

"Dropping out of Warp in 3…2…1." Sulu's hand gently pulled back on the Warp control and the ship came to a gentle halt, the blue and green surface of Betazed floating in front of them.

"Captain, a Betazoid cruiser is approaching us, they have weapons locked." Chekov spoke up.

"Maintain shields but do not arm weapons. Uhura, hail the surface."

"Captain, we have a response." Uhura turned to look at him, her worry reflected in her eyes.

"Onscreen."

The face of an older, clearly furious Betazoid woman filled the screen. Her robes were expensive and her hair intricately piled upon her head. "Starfleet vessel, you are not welcome at this planet. Please turn around immediately or we will fire upon you."

"Councillor Tamarin." Lyla stepped forward toward the viewscreen, her voice carefully modulated and her bearing far more erect than any on the Bridge had seen before. "I, Lyla Stone of the Seventh House of Qorun, great-granddaughter of the Matriarch Sabhanna, am utilizing this vessel for transportation."

Tamarin's face was frozen in a visage of shock, her features showing her disbelief. "Lyla Stone…Lyla. You were killed onboard the Suwayda, along with Lwaxana Troi."

"No, Madame Councillor. I was not killed." Lyla smiled gently. "And neither was my great-niece."

"May the Goddesses be praised." Tamarin's words, which Jim expected to be more joyful, were still filled with complete shock. "Your great-grandmother has been beside herself. I will have the ships stand down. Please prepare to beam down with Lwaxana immediately."

"Of course, Councillor. But I must request that a small contingent of Starfleet officers accompany me. We carry information that is vital to the survival of Betazed and they must speak with the Matriarch at once. The Captain of this vessel, Captain James Kirk, bears information that can be imparted to her and only her." She gestured behind her slightly, and Jim stood up to stand next to her at the viewscreen.

"Absolutely not." Tamarin's nostrils were quivering with anger again. "Those monsters killed Baril Troi and her Grace has been completely distraught. And you dishonor your Betazoid heritage, however minor it may be, by suggesting that any man of Starfleet would be allowed to speak with the Matriarch at this time. As you are aware, our customs forbid ANY man from speaking to the Matriarch who does not hold the proper position in Betazoid culture."

Lyla paused and looked slightly distraught, as if unsure how to proceed, so he attempted to buy her some time. "Madame Councillor, I am Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise. Please, Councillor, we are simply trying to assist Betazed in a time of great need for both of our planets. I would only like to pass our information to the Matriarch so that she can decide your planet's next steps with all of the information available."

"Lyla." Tamarin's voice was cold and all on the Bridge froze at the derision in her voice. Lyla's face went white and when she attempted to speak, her voice faltered. "You have obviously done nothing to teach these Federation imbeciles about Betazoid culture. Beam Lwaxana down to the surface immediately and turn this ship around. Take it and its rude Captain away from our planet at once."

As shocked as Kirk was by the venom coming out of the Councillor's mouth, he was more shocked at what spilled out of Lyla's mouth. Her color was back and her eyes were angry and hard. "You, Councillor, forget yourself as a Minister of the High Council of Betazed. As the great-granddaughter of the Matriarch, even one who is not fully of Betazoid blood, I still hold higher position than you in Betazoid culture. And the Captain," she faltered and looked at him briefly. He was a little frightened by what he saw in her eyes. Her words tumbled out and she looked away from him, back toward the screen.

"Captain Kirk is my consort and by Ruling Number 437 of the High Council of Betazed, the consort of a female family member of the Matriarch of Betazed shall hold the same position as that of his sponsor and shall be afforded all rights and privileges of said sponsor, if so desired by said sponsor." Jim felt his face freeze in shock, and quite aware that the jaw of almost all on the Bridge behind him were literally hanging open, but Lyla plunged forward, her voice growing angrier with each word. Her chest was heaving with frustrated breath. "I have granted Captain Kirk the privileges attached with said position, thereby granting him the right to petition the Matriarch as any member of the Betazoid royal family would be allowed. Will you defy the very rule of law that your Council enacted? Will you, in this moment of royal crisis, defy the request of a member of the royal famiy?"

No one moved or spoke on the Bridge. Kirk did not look at Lyla, his gaze fixed on the screen. Tamarin glared at them, her gaze fixed on both Lyla and Kirk. Suddenly, the corner of her mouth tipped up in a derisive sneer. "Fine, Lyla Stone. You and your consort may come to the surface."

"And a small contingent of Starfleet officers who will be under my protection." Her voice was solid steel and Kirk marveled at this different strength he had not seen before, even if out of the corner of his eye he could see her left hand shaking slightly at her side.

"Fine." Tamarin paused as if to finish, but spoke again, her voice lower and her eyes angry. "But if you are lying about the Captain's status, the Matriarch will know immediately, and you will bear the full brunt of punishment for that lie as laid out by Betazoid law."

"Do not worry about what I may or may not be lying about, Tamarin. We will beam down to the surface in 20 minutes, along with Lwaxana. Enterprise out." Kirk could not think to wave his hand, nor could Lyla, but Uhura shut down the feed anyway. The Bridge remained silent and no one spoke as Kirk and Lyla continued to stand side-by-side, staring at screen in front of them that once again showed the serene view of Betazed that originally greeted them.

Spock cleared his throat quite deliberately and Kirk shook as if from a trance. Turning his head, he realized Lyla was not looking at him and most likely did not want to, if the half-terrified and half-humiliated expression on her face was anything to go by. "Captain, I believe that it would be wise for a group of at least two officers to accompany you."

"Agreed." He realized his voice was unnaturally high-pitched and cleared it thoroughly. "Agreed, Commander Spock. I will accompany Lt. Stone, and would appreciate your presence. Lt. Uhura, I believe it would be beneficial to have someone with your experience in diplomacy along with us."

"Of course, Captain." She was eyeing the back of Lyla's head, speculatively. Lyla had yet to turn around, and Kirk felt the urge deep within him to reach out and touch her, to understand what was happening. He was confused and angry at the sudden announcement, but more irritated that he had not been aware of what she was going to say before she did.

"Commander Spock, please select two additional crewmembers to accompany us, and we will all meet in the Transporter Room in fifteen minutes. Uhura, please alert Bones to the fact that we need him to bring Lwaxana to the Transporter Room as well. I will be preparing in my office for the next few minutes." He turned his head slightly, ignoring the unsubtle interest on the part of every single person on the bridge as he spoke softly to Lyla. "Lt. Stone, would you please accompany me to my office? I would like to discuss a few minor questions regarding your _plan_ to engage the Matriarch." He knew his voice hesitated on the word "plan" and he saw her flinch slightly at the tone in his voice, but he didn't like being caught off guard, and damned if she hadn't done that very thing.

Lyla turned without meeting his eyes or that of anyone else on the Bridge and moved swiftly toward his office, his feet following her. He met Uhura's eyes briefly and she gave him an encouraging smile, one he realized he had not seen from her many times, and he quickened his pace. Lyla was not one to do things lightly, and he wanted an explanation from her. The door opened and slid shut behind them, shutting her in his office. He felt anger, frustration, confusion swamp him and he gripped her shoulders, turning her toward him.

"Dammit, Lyla, what the hell are you playing at?"

"Jim." Her voice was flat-out terrified and her face as pale as when she was speaking to Tamarin only a few moments before. It caused the anger in his brain to stutter and short circuit before it could flare higher. "Jim, something is seriously wrong with Councillor Tamarin. Something is WRONG here."

"What?"

"It did not even look like her. Her eyes were angry and _evil_." She was wringing her hands now. "I'm sorry that I sprung that on you the way that I did, but the truth of the matter is that as soon as she began speaking, I knew that there was no way I was going to get you down on that planet unless I had a very good reason, backed by Betazoid law – something she could not refute. It was all I could think of on a moment's notice that would give you enough status that they could not legally deny you the right to meet with the Matriarch and speak with her in person, to plead Starfleet's case. I'm sorry." She wailed at him, her eyes finally meeting his, scared and swimming with tears. "Something is very wrong on Betazed. "

"I understand." He shook his head and dropped his arms from her shoulders. "You just caught me off-guard. Why do you think something is wrong with Councillor Tamarin?"

"Her eyes." She shut her own and shook her head, her voice mournful. "Her eyes had a green tint to them, something I would not have seen if her face was not so large on the viewscreen."

"What does that mean?"

"Someone is controlling her, Jim. Someone is controlling her thoughts and they are using the plant to do it. The one I was working on." She opened her eyes and looked at him, her expression heartbreaking. "We're too late. Majel is already here."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Lyla's knuckles were solid white as she gripped the edge of his desk, her body rigid as she tried to hold herself together. Jim stood behind her, unsure what to say or do – platitudes would be worthless at this point. He felt useless and impotent, something he rarely experienced but abhorred when it occurred.

"What are we going to do, Jim? They know we have Lwaxana – we have to take her down to the surface now. How can I take my niece into this? How can I give her over to people who might hurt her?" Her voice was shaking, but she did not cry or fold in on herself. Where she drew the strength from to deal with each blow of this tragedy as it unfolded mystified him. Hands lifting, he smoothed them over the rigid edges of her shoulders, feeling her tense muscles and her stiff posture, and trying to instill some calm. When his hands smoothed over her bare arms, the familiar heat between them hit, and he felt her relax slightly.

"We're going to figure this out, Lyla. Between you and me, and the rest of this crew, we will figure out what's going on and we _will_ save Lwaxana and the Matriarch. Before you know it, this is all going to be a bad memory." Jim kept his voice low and soothing, trying to relax her – to reassure her that she was not alone. She turned slowly, trapped between him and the desk, her chest pressed against his. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but none fell.

"I'm so glad that I met you. I don't know how I would be standing right now without you." Her dark eyes were gazing at him, and he felt his heart flip-flop in his chest. Jim often felt the urge to defend those under attack, whether it was physical or not. But the desire within him to wrap this woman up and protect her from every hurt was a tangible ache inside of him – one he had not felt before.

"I'm going to be here until this is over. Right here next to you." Arms wrapping around her, he drew her in for a hug, her head lying against his chest, her right hand against his heart. Jim could feel the heat of her body through his uniform and it comforted him. He was grateful she did not ask where he would be after these events concluded. He was not ready to confront the decision he had made in her quarters, or the feelings coursing through him. Deciding to open oneself up to love and implementing said change were two extremely different things. This he could do – he could comfort her and show her though his actions that she was important to him, that he cared.

"Thank you." Her words were whispered, but he could feel her breath on his skin, even through his shirt. Jim smoothed her hair with one hand and kept the other firmly against her back, holding her against him.

"You don't have to thank me, Lyla. The last few days have been pretty terrible. I would do the same for anyone."

She lifted her head from his chest, her eyes no longer glassy, but smiling. "You've hugged all of the people you've helped over the last year?" Her tone was teasing but her smile genuine. He was pleased to note that the tension in her body was slipping away and her anger and fear under control.

"Nope." He leaned his mouth down close to hers, feeling more than hearing her breath speed up at his proximity. "And I certainly haven't made love to them like I made love to you last night."

"No?" Her voice was breathless and difficult to hear.

"Have I kissed you yet this morning?" He gazed into the bottomless pools that were her black eyes and felt himself sinking into them - those magic eyes that seemed to transfix him.

"Jim, we don't have time for this, we –" He cut off her words with his lips, gently touching his against hers. She pulled back and glared at him. "You can't interrupt every slightly argumentative thing I say with a kiss."

"I wasn't ending an argument. I was trying to comfort you." He kissed her lightly again and was pleased to note that she kissed him back.

"That's very sweet." She kissed his jaw line and cheek lightly and he felt his eyes close automatically, his arms tightening around her. "But we have to go."

"Are you going to be okay?" Blue eyes open, he stared into hers, seeking confirmation. She nodded and as his arms relaxed, slipped out of them.

"I'm going to prepare for the trip down to the planet." He nodded but did not respond, watching as she walked to the door. As she reached out to the door panel, she paused and turned to him. "Thank you, Jim. Even if you think I don't need to say it – I want you to hear it."

"You're welcome, Lyla." She nodded and the door slid open, letting her back out onto the bridge before closing behind her. Jim walked around his desk and sunk into his chair, his feelings confused and his brain racing.

*************

The possibility that Majel Troi was already present on Betazed in some fashion and already making her move on the Matriarch's throne changed the game to a certain extent. Not proceeding with their attempt to contact the Matriarch was out of the question – she was the only individual on Betazed with the ability to overrule the High Council's decision to dissolve the relationship between Betazed and the Federation, and more than that, she was most likely a personal target of Majel. He had an obligation as a Starfleet officer and as a man to ensure that she received warning of the possible threat against her life. They absolutely had to pass this information to the Matriarch, and in person. Which, he acknowledged with a rueful shake of his head, Lyla's surprise plan of introducing him as her Consort actually achieved them, and legally – completely bypassing the delicate political situation between Earth and Betazed. He was unaware of the technical requirements for him to actually hold the position, but a consort was, in essence, the sexual partner of a female member of the royal family of Betazed. As of six hours ago, he had become exactly that. Granted, he would have preferred if she had told him in advance that this was the tactic she was going to use to get them an audience with the Matriarch, but considering that she came up with a logical, legal reason for him to speak with her on the fly when the situation suddenly and radically changed, he was impressed. This led him to the second issue they had to deal with: Council Tamarin's possible control by an outside person with nefarious intentions against himself and his Away Team. The chime of the door startled Jim from the daze his mind had entered. "Enter."

Spock's stoic face greeted him as the Commander entered the room, hands clasped firmly behind his back. "You requested my presence, Captain?"

"Spock, take a seat. I want your opinion on something." He gestured to the chair in front of his desk and leaned back in his own, trying to gather his thoughts. "Lyla believes, based on her interaction with Councilor Tamarin just now, that Tamarin is being controlled by the same project Lyla was working on before the Suwayda was destroyed."

"Indicating that Majel Troi or one of her co-conspirators may already be present on Betazed." Spock nodded. "A logical assumption."

"We don't have a choice in speaking with the Matriarch. I have to get down there and tell her what is going on. But now we're possibly dealing with individuals who may want to physically harm us as well – who knows what we're going to be facing down there."

"I agree, Captain, that we have no choice but to continue with our current plan to contact the Matriarch and explain what we know about the possible coup. I have already selected Ensign Linane and Lieutenant Ford from Security to accompany the Away Team. May I suggest Dr. McCoy also join us? In the event of a physical altercation, it would be prudent to have an individual with human medical expertise present." Spock's expression did not change at the mention of the possibility of violence, but Kirk had learned his moods and voice modulations well enough to know that he was concerned.

"I agree with having Bones come. Spock, if you want Uhura to stay onboard—"

"Jim." Spock relaxed slightly and shook his head in what could almost be a humorous manner. "If you attempt to remove Lt. Uhura from this mission because of the possibility of physical danger, she may physically harm _you_."

Kirk grinned. "You make a very good point, Spock. But I felt I should offer a newly married man the opportunity to protect his bride from possibly homicidal Betazoids."

"I have no doubt that Lt. Uhura would ably handle herself in the face of a Betazoid attack of any nature."

"No doubt."

"I also have no doubt that Lt. Stone could ably handle herself in the event of an altercation." Spock looked straight at him with that unnerving gaze that he could muster when he wanted Kirk to know that he knew exactly what Kirk was thinking.

Jim cleared his throat. "Yes, I'm sure that Lt. Stone can handle herself just fine."

"I was impressed with Lt. Stone's idea to present you as her Consort. According to Betazoid law, you now have many of the rights and abilities of someone with senior status on the planet. It will make our attempt to speak with the Matriarch easier. She is quite intelligent."

Jim's eyes widened and he realized that what he was feeling at that moment was flat-out surprise. "Spock, are you trying to tell me that you _approve_ of Lt. Stone?"

Spock's eyebrow rose slightly. "Nyota has informed me that an undefined relationship exists between you and Lt. Stone and instructed me to _offer my encouragement_." He sounded more than a little disgusted and Jim's lips twisted in an effort to keep a straight face. "While I informed her that this was not the appropriate time to discuss personal matters with the Captain of a starship, she was quite adamant that I ensure you are not angry with Lt. Stone for her decision on the bridge. I felt that my positive assessment of this plan and an accurate description of her more admirable qualities would be sufficient."

Jim couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. "I never took you for one to bow to his wife's demands."

"As you pointed out, Captain, I am a new husband." Spock's voice took a sardonic turn. "I would like to remain such in the near future." Jim laughed harder. "Additionally, the majority of your command staff believes that if you are not already in a relationship with Lt. Stone you will be soon. I felt it best to confront that possibility head-on."

"What?" That sobered him up quickly. He did not want there to be any questioning glances toward Lyla regarding her relationship with a commanding officer. While he and the command staff were aware that she was not officially a Starfleet officer at this time, the rest of the crew didn't, and the last thing he wanted were rumors regarding any _extracurricular_ activities to follow her around. "I wasn't aware that Lt. Stone and I had made any public gestures that would give that impression."

Spock's voice was very firm, more so than usual. "Neither you nor Lt. Stone have behaved inappropriately in public. I highly doubt that any of the crew could or would insinuate that such a relationship exists." He hesitated slightly but plunged forward. "Those of us who consider you a…friend…are very aware that your behavior toward Lt. Stone indicates more affection than a commanding officer would show toward a subordinate."

Jim hesitated, as a thought occurred to him. Here was a Vulcan man who had supreme control over his own emotions and an appreciation for logical thought and action – yet he had just married a human woman. He was also a friend – and possibly the one person who could help him understand all the strange feelings coursing through him whenever he looked at or even thought of Lyla Stone. "Spock, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Yes."

"How did you know that what you felt for Uhura was more than just a physical attraction? I mean, how did you know that she was different from other women?" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, aware that his question was giving away his own feelings – making him vulnerable.

"Lt. Uhura and I had a more unique situation than most human couples. She is the only woman, other than my original betrothed on Vulcan, who I have been involved in a romantic relationship with." Spock's face was impassive as ever.

"Oh, well. Never mind then." Jim placed his hands on his desk and moved to stand.

"However," Spock interrupted, "I believe that I can still answer your question. Uhura – Nyota – was a dilemma for me, as you know. I felt that I had a duty to the Vulcan people to marry a Vulcan woman and sustain our race. I found, however, that I could not leave her company."

"Why not?" Jim was actually intrigued by this. The relationship between Uhura and Spock had intrigued him since its abrupt revelation in the transporter room a year ago.

Spock's answer was simple and direct. "Her presence improved my very being, my thoughts were clearer – the room around me was. My life was improved. Simply put, I am a better man and Vulcan when she is a part of my life."

Kirk was shocked by this response. Spock, in his Vulcan way, was saying that Uhura's very presence made him happy. This, was in effect, how he felt around Lyla. It was food for thought.

"Don't you want to quote the regulations regarding inappropriate relationships between subordinate and commanding officers?"

"Why would I? According to a legal treaty signed by both the Federation and Betazed, Lt. Stone is not a member of Starfleet at the moment and you are not her commanding officer." Spock frowned slightly. "I would remind you, though, that should your relationship with her continue for any period of time, that situation will eventually change."

"Spock, if I didn't know better, I would think you are telling me to pursue Lyla." Kirk smirked. "That's not what Uhura asked you to do."

"Scientific studies have shown that individuals in high stress positions with a stable personal life are far more capable of handling unexpected situations and rebounding from difficult ones quickly. As your first officer, I approve of anything that would decrease the stress of your position and allow you to function at a superior level as Captain of this vessel."

"Stress reduction. That's one reason I've never heard for starting a relationship. Sex, yes. Dating, no." Kirk leaned back in his chair and spun from side to side for a moment before standing up abruptly. "We should get going; it's almost time to beam down to the surface. I want all the members of the Away Team armed."

"I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable, Captain." Spock also stood, his hands automatically clasping behind him.

"Spock, how many times do I have to tell you that I like it when my friends call me Jim in private?"

"I apologize…Jim."

"And you didn't make me feel uncomfortable. You gave me something to think about." He walked around the desk and put his hand on Spock's shoulder, a physical gesture that the normally reticent half-Vulcan had grown accustomed to as their friendship developed. "And I appreciate your support."

Spock nodded, but did not respond. Jim turned toward the door leading to the Bridge. "Despite my usual habit of ignoring protocol, it's nice to know that a relationship with Lyla would have my by-the-book Vulcan first officer's stamp of approval." The door slid open and he walked toward the turbo lift, Spock close behind.

*************

Jim Kirk had briefly studied Betazed at the Academy during a familiarization class that all cadets were required to attend during their first year. He had also taken twenty minutes the day before to call up information on the planet in his office in an attempt to brush up, as he figured that a good Captain would know something about the planet he was currently attempting to prevent a coup on – and he did want to be a good Captain. He briefly perused the protocol database for information on addressing the members of the royal family. But nothing in those moments of study had prepared him for the lavish opulence of the Matriarch's royal palace on Betazed or the sight of Lyla in the formal dress of a member of the royal family. She had appeared in the transport room, Starfleet uniform exchanged for an elaborate set of robes she had created the day before with the assistance of a replicator and Quartermaster Juliet Blinde. Her hair was less sophisticated than what he had seen on Councilor Tamarin during their brief conversation, but it was far more intricate than he had seen on her before. Her natural inclination was a simple, functional style – something he appreciated about her. She had blushed pink when their eyes met and he grinned at her, but had explained to the group that it was inappropriate considering her current legal position to appear before the Matriarch as a member of the royal family in Starfleet dress. She was attempting to obey the law to the letter, which he already knew from his studies included a very formal process on the etiquette for speaking with the Matriarch, something usually reserved only for high-ranking Betazoid women and very few men.

As the shimmer of the transporter faded and the elaborate gardens of the royal palace materialized, Kirk found himself grateful to hear Bones' typical grumbling behind him. "Goddamn machine is going to malfunction one of these days and then we're gonna end up scattered all over the damn universe." Some things were dependable – Bones' irritated mood was one of them, and never failed to put Kirk into a good mood.

A contingent of male palace guards stood before them, Councilor Tamarin's furious face prominent at the front of the group. Lwaxana gripped his hand tightly, and he looked down. Despite having one hand in his and the other in Lyla's firm grip, Lwaxana looked scared and she peered up at him with an expression similar to the one on her face when she awoke in Sickbay following their rescue from the Suwayda. He smiled slightly to reassure her and looked up when Lyla began speaking.

"Councilor Tamarin, thank you for meeting with us." She inclined her head as the Councilor reciprocated stiffly.

"You did not give us much of a choice, Lyla." Tamarin's sneer was barely contained. "If this Captain Kirk is in fact your Consort, as you claim, you are within your legal rights to request an audience with the Matriarch. I assume you will want to present Lwaxana and claim the Matriarch's appreciation for her survival. At least you are dressed appropriately."

"I would never insult her Grace by appearing in my Starfleet uniform. I am aware of the delicate political situation that currently exists between the Federation and Betazed."

"And yet you were wearing a Starfleet uniform on board their ship. How very interesting that your allegiances change as easily as your clothing."

Tamarin's hands were curled into claws at her sides, and Kirk had the odd feeling that she was barely containing her desire to launch herself at Lyla. He momentarily resisted the urge to move closer to her, and then realized that with his position as Consort it would not be inappropriate. Moving closer to Lyla, he swung Lwaxana up into his arms, her chubby forearms wrapping around his neck. "The information that we have for the Matriarch is extremely time sensitive. We would appreciate if you could lead us to her Chambers immediately."

"You will not address me directly, Captain. Until the Matriarch has confirmed that you are indeed Lyla Stone's consort, you have no position on this planet and therefore no legal right to speak to a senior woman of Betazed." She turned abruptly, her robes swirling around her. Lyla turned to him and they shared a smile of silent encouragement before the entire Away Team began to follow the Councilor, surrounded by the palace guards, through a multitude of ornate rooms.

Lyla whispered next to him. "Matriarch Sabhanna is one of the most powerful telepaths on Betazed. She will be able to confirm that you and I are together, and her decisions are final."

Coming to a stop before a door embossed in gold, Tamarin turned to them. "Your Starfleet associates will remain here. Only Lyla, Lwaxana, and the _Consort_ may proceed into the High Council chamber. A session is not on-going, so it will only be the Matriarch and her current counsel, Councilor Reittan." Lyla moved to speak, but thought better of it, and moved forward when the door swung open, Kirk following.

The Matriarch was smaller than he had imagined. A woman who wielded such authoritative power over an entire planet in his mind had seemed to be seven feet tall. In reality, she was several inches shorter than Lyla's own 5'6" frame. He placed Lwaxana on the ground, and could not help but grin as she immediately ran to the elderly woman, who embraced her tightly. Tamarin stood to the side, her face a grim shadow. A non-descript male, obviously Councilor Reittan, hung to the side near Tamarin, his eyes observing.

Lyla bowed deeply, her legs dipping close to the ground, her robes spreading out around her in a wide circle. "Your Grace." She glanced to the side at him and he quickly followed her lead, dropping into a low bow.

"I am grateful to you, Lyla Stone, for saving my granddaughter and returning her to her rightful place in the royal palace of Betazed." Her voice, much like her stature, was not what he expected. It was soft and difficult to hear.

"It was my great pleasure. You know that I consider Lwaxana like my sister."

"Councilor Tamarin informs me that you bring this un-titled male to speak with me – a Federation Captain. You are aware, are you not, of our laws and of the fact that Betazed is no longer a member of the United Federation of Planets?"

"Yes, your Grace." Lyla stood up and placed her hand on his arm. "Captain Kirk has become my Consort and I have chosen to fully share the minor honors that your Grace has so magnanimously bestowed upon me as your very distant relative. We both desire to utilize these powers to beg an audience with you."

The Matriarch did not release Lwaxana's hand, but moved closer, her robes gliding across the marble floor. Kirk was startled as she drew closer, her eyes appearing unfocused and her face vacant of the intelligence he had heard Lyla speak of briefly. "Councilor Tamarin does not believe this claim."

"I would never lie to you, your Grace. We are partners in every sense of the word."

"A sexual partner does not a Consort make." The serpent-like voice of Councilor Reittan startled Kirk and Lyla, but the Matriarch continued to stand almost distractedly in front of them. He seemed to slither forward, his robes trailing upon the floor, his bright eyes blue. His hand brushed against the back of the Matriarch's arm, who did not react to the movement. He heard Lyla's sharply indrawn breath at the gesture and a feeling of dread began to pool in his stomach. "Your Grace, you should not be forced to speak with someone who does not honor our traditions to their full extent."

"Minister Reittan is correct." The Matriarch wasn't even looking at them as she spoke and despite her attempts to remain stone-faced, Jim could clearly see the panic in Lyla's eyes. Councilor Tamarin was obviously not the only person here acting out of character. "You are partners physically, but you have not bonded yourselves together in the traditional Betazoid ceremony. I'm afraid that your Consort does not qualify to speak with me under Betazoid law." She turned away, Lwaxana's hand caught in hers, although the child silently kept her eyes on Kirk and Lyla.

"But, your Grace, that is only a technicality that has never been enforced before." Lyla's voice was growing desperate.

"It is being enforced now, Lyla Stone." The look on Reittan's face was triumphant. "So unless you and the Captain wish to quickly hold a Bonding ceremony, we are done here. Take the Federation vessel and leave immediately."

"You know the penalty for lying to the Matriarch." Tamarin drew closer, her eyes burning as if possessed. Her voice was vicious snarl. "As a member of the royal family, however bastard she may be, we should punish her."

Jim knew there was only one chance to salvage this opportunity and leaned forward to whisper in Lyla's ear. He could not speak to the Matriarch without causing insult, but he could have Lyla speak for him. The inability to speak out loud rankled.

"Tell her we were waiting to return to Betazed to perform the ceremony." Lyla's eyes grew huge with shock and she looked at him.

"Jim, do you know what we're suggesting?" Her mouth barely moved and her whisper was low enough that only he could hear it.

"Do you have a better idea? We have to speak to her away from these two snakes and this is the only way to do so, and keep you from being thrown in jail. Do it." He turned and smiled at the two Councilors, remembering the similarly wide grin he had presented to Majel Troi. They could go screw themselves if they thought some minor technicality was going to keep him from stopping their coup attempt.

Lyla shook her head as if to clear a daze, but plunged ahead. "Your Grace, we have not performed the required ceremony because I asked Captain Kirk to wait until we could return to Betazed. You know that I embrace my Betazoid heritage as much as my human heritage. We were hoping that you would be willing to witness the ceremony, as one of my few full-blooded Betazoid family members."

Sabhanna hesitated and turned around – Kirk noticed with no small amount of satisfaction that Reittan and Tamarin managed to look both horrified and full of rage at the same time. Reittan quickly moved to the royal's side, fingers digging harshly into the woman's arm. "Your Grace, this is highly inappropriate – Lyla Stone has insulted you and should not be granted the courtesy of a ceremony that she and her Federation compatriots are clearly manipulating for political benefit. They are abusing the memory of your murdered daughter."

Eyes closing in pain at the mention of Baril, Sabhanna wilted, appearing to physically grow even smaller before Kirk and Lyla's eyes. Jim saw the anger flush Lyla's face with red and smiled widely as she stepped forward, her voice ringing imperiously through the Hall. "Councilor Reittan, you have no authority over whether or not Captain Kirk and I perform the Ceremony of Binding. I was inviting my great-grandmother to participate in what will be one of the most important days of my life. We will be bound this afternoon here on Betazed and we will speak with her Grace. Whether it is today or tomorrow is at her discretion, not yours."

"You are not welcome here –" Reittan's harshly spoken words were interrupted by the Matriarch herself.

"Lyla, dear, of course I will be present at your Binding Ceremony. We few remaining Troi women must stick together." Her eyes were misty and unfocused, but she smiled tremulously at her great-granddaughter, unaware of Reittan's blatant rage next to her. "Tamarin, please schedule the ceremony for this afternoon in the southern gardens."

Tamarin grudgingly nodded, her disapproving glare sliding over all within the room.

"I'm very tired; I'd like to take a nap now." The Matriarch turned, with Lwaxana's hand in hers and walked slowly but steadily to a door at the other end of the room. Lyla looked distressed to see her great-niece walking into a palace that was so clearly under the control of individuals who were set to destroy the Troi family, but there was little she could do at this point. Jim turned to Reittan and Tamarin, the anger he felt flooding through him clearly visible on his face, and he was gratified that both Councilors flinched away from him in fear.

"We will hold the ceremony this afternoon and then Lyla and I will speak with the Matriarch immediately – alone." Kirk didn't even wait for their acknowledgement, before he wrapped his arm around Lyla, turning them toward the door and exiting into the room with a forceful walk. The doors slammed open in front of them, Uhura, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the Away Team jumping to their feet and quickly following in their wake down the hallway.

"Kirk to Enterprise." His communicator open in front of him, he did not withdraw his arm from around Lyla's shaking shoulders. "Seven to beam up."

**********

"You're getting married." Bones' humorous opinion of the entire situation, despite the intergalactic political implications of the surrounding events, was beginning to grate on Jim – especially the fact that he kept repeating that same sentence over and over again. Like Kirk could forget for even one second what he was being forced to do just to get around a pair of slimy brain-washed Betazoid nobles.

"No, we're just doing what we have to do to get an audience alone with the Matriarch – without those two goddamn Councilors hanging around manipulating her. I've got to give Lyla the opportunity to break whatever control it is that they have her under." Jim viciously yanked on the dress uniform collar that refused to fasten. "GODDAMMIT!"

"Try to relax or I'll give you a tranquilizer." Bones stepped forward and closed the clasp around his throat with no problem.

"You stay away from me – you and your fucking hypo sprays." Jim sat down on his bunk and began pulling on one of his dress shoes. "Neither of us is entering into this with any expectations - other than the fact that we're doing this to save Betazed from a coup and to try and salvage their relationship with the Federation."

"Uh-huh."

"What?!" Jim threw his other shoe on the floor and glared at his supposed best friend. "You want me to admit that I'm freaked out? Yes, okay, I'm freaked out. I'm freaked out that I'm being forced into a marriage. I'm freaked out that this will probably damage any chance of possibly developing a real relationship with that same woman – a woman I'm starting to develop real feelings for. This will be annulled once this is all over and she'll run screaming in the other direction. But I'm doing what I have to do – because that is what a _good_ Captain does."

"Jim," Bones was shocked at Kirk's admission of feelings for Lyla. "I'm sure that she won't –"

"I don't want to talk about it, Bones." Kirk's head hung low, his shoulders slumped. "Please, let's just do what we need to do here."

"Why can't Lyla just explain the situation to the Matriarch, since she has the authority to speak with her and you don't?"

"Oh my God – why didn't I think of that?" Jim slapped his head against his forehead in mock surprise and then glared at McCoy even harder. "What do you think I am – a fucking idiot?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that?"

"Lyla and I already ruled out that possibility. I don't think you're fully aware of how screwed up the rules are when it comes to Betazoid royals. And the rules on talking to the Matriarch are highly specialized – I looked them up myself. No individual person can request an audience with the Matriarch – it's considered too dangerous without at least one other individual or guard present, which is a law that Reittan and Tamarin are enforcing."

"Right. But with the two of you enjoying the same rights and privileges as Betazoid royalty once you are officially her Consort, you can request an audience alone with the three of you." McCoy openly snickered at the title Jim knew could officially be referred to within the next hour, but Kirk tried to restrain himself from throwing the punch his hand was itching to get out.

"Exactly. And those two Councilors can't say a thing to stop us."

The door chimed then, and Bones opened it to reveal Lyla, clad in the same Betazoid robes as before. She was clearly startled to see McCoy there in his own dress uniform and walked into the room hesitantly, as Jim finished pulling his other shoe on. Her voice was questioning. "Dr. McCoy, are you going to be present at the ceremony?"

"Someone has to stand up with our dear Captain."

"Oh." Her eyes crinkled in confusion and she turned to Jim. "I didn't think you would want anyone else present."

"Well, it would look a little weird if we were having a legitimate ceremony and I had no one to stand with me. We are trying to sell this thing, right?"

"I guess I just thought – considering the traditions – that you would want to keep this fairly private. Without any crew."

"Wait – what are you talking about?" Jim put his hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Please tell me there is nothing dangerous involved, possibly a run-away bouquet or a boutonniere gone wild – attacking people left and right."

Her eyes grew wide. "Jim, how familiar are you with Betazoid binding ceremonies?"

"Not at all. I thought I would just follow your lead. This is all kind of happening pretty quickly. We need to get in to see the Matriarch ASAP following the ceremony, so I thought we could just ask for the quickie version."

She sighed and leaned her head back in frustration. "I _knew_ you had no idea what you were suggesting when you told me to tell them we wanted to do the ceremony."

His hand dropped from her shoulder, his brain finally registering that something he wouldn't like was about to happen. "Oh God. You mean there might be more ritual humiliation involved than just the act of marriage itself?"

Lyla laughed out loud and then turned to McCoy. "Doctor, can you excuse us for a moment?"

"Sure thing." McCoy stepped out into the corridor, the door sliding shut behind him, just as Uhura walked up. Bones was startled when he realized what she was wearing amounted to little more than a very elaborate bathrobe, belted at the waist. "No clean clothes, Lieutenant?"

Uhura glared at him in response. "Idiot. I'm preparing for the ceremony. Lyla said we would be beaming directly to the ritual site. Why are you even bothering to put on one of those uncomfortable dress uniforms?"

"What do you mean, why am I bothering? I'm the best man."

"Uh-huh." She was clearly struggling not to laugh now. "Are either you or the Captain aware that traditional Betazoid bonding ceremonies require all participants, including witnesses, to be nude?"

"WHAT?!!" The sound of Jim's shocked voice made it even through the mostly sound proof door. Bones' face was shocked at first, but then the corners of his lips turned up, Uhura's following, until they were both bent over, laughing uproariously in the corridor, younger officers grinning as they walked past, not even realizing what they were laughing at.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I will be on vacation this week, meaning it will be difficult for me to update, so I tried to provide an extra long one this week. I'll get the next one up soon. We're quickly reaching the climax of our conspiracy.

**CHAPTER NINE**

Jim Kirk was confused. It was as if his entire world had momentarily turned into some kind of psychedelic pantomime – everything shifting slightly out of focus and confusing him. In the space of 48 hours, his ship had rescued a stranded woman and child from a destroyed space station. He had made love to that same woman several times, discovering a soul that reached out to him on a level he had never experienced before. Jim was not quite sure if, before Lyla, he had ever really made love to a woman. And now he was being forced to marry that very woman to secure political expediency and the ability to prevent a coup on Betazed. While he was fairly sure that he was developing deep feelings for Lyla, he was by no means ready to confront his emotions, let alone consider the concept of marriage. While everything within him wanted to grab the Matriarch and Lyla, commandeer a room, and straight out the entire issue of Majel Troi's conspiracy, he was instead sitting in a small room in the royal palace of Betazed, dressed in a blue silk robe, his hands shaking roughly, and his two best friends standing across from him, grinning. Only Spock would allow his usual Vulcan stoicism to soften to take advantage of an opportunity to relish in his uncomfortable position.

The door to the small antechamber opened, and a harried-looking older Betazoid woman stuck her head in, eyes and mouth grinning widely. "How are we doing in here?"

"Captain Kirk is prepared for the ceremony, as are we."

"Excellent, excellent." She grinned at Kirk then, laughing slightly. Jim frowned as he realized that everyone involved in this ceremony seemed to be laughing at him. "How are you holding up? You're looking a little pale."

"I am sure that is just excitement." Spock's voice was grave and almost too serious, as if this was his attempt to keep himself from laughing out loud. McCoy's ribs were practically creaking with the effort of holding in his laughter. Kirk scowled at them both.

"Try not to let him run away, would you? It always disrupts the ceremony when they do that." With that and a snicker, she let the door shut behind her.

"That is a nasty little woman." Kirk gritted out as he stood and began pacing.

"Oh, I don't know." McCoy was leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed, a permanent smirk on his face. "I kind of like her."

"You're looking pretty comfortable – you forget that within a few minutes we're all going to be standing around naked with 40 other people who may or may not want to kill us." Bones' eyes were rolling before Kirk even finished speaking.

"First of all, no one is going to be staring at me – they're going to be staring at you and Lyla. I hope you've been working out." Kirk stuck his middle finger up at him. "Mature. Second, I would dance around naked with a bowl of fruit on my head if that's what it took to see Jim Kirk actually get married."

"I told you, it's not official." Kirk shook his arms violently. "Why won't my hands stop shaking?"

"Jim," Spock stepped forward and awkwardly placed his hand on his shoulder. Kirk flinched involuntarily and then laughed. "Sorry, but the last time you did that I ended up on an ice planet."

"I was simply attempting to utilize the same friendly gesture that you have employed in the past. I have found that humans greatly value physical contact when exhibiting extreme nervousness."

"I'm NOT nervous." Kirk realized he was yelling and lowered his voice, taking a deep breath to slow his pulse. "I just want to get this show on the road and get into see the Matriarch. Starfleet is depending on us to fix the relationship between the Federation and Betazed, and the Matriarch's life is clearly in danger."

"Uh-huh." Bones had proceeded from smirking to out-right grinning. "And your hands are shaking because you are so desperate to secure the dilithium deposits on this planet for the Federation."

*************

The velvet-covered sofa Uhura was currently reclining on was perhaps one of the most luxurious pieces of furniture she had ever encountered. Running her fingertips over the material, she briefly wondered what it would cost to get one of them for the quarters that she and Spock now shared onboard the Enterprise. It might be fun – newlyweds were supposed to be trying new things, right? She grinned to herself as her mind began to wander to her new husband. Lyla sat in a chair nearby, back straight and body held rigidly as a woman who worked within the palace was styling her hair elaborately.

"Are you doing okay, Lyla?" She was far from blind and Lyla looked ready to pass out, fall over, or both.

Eyes wild, she glanced over at Uhura. "Why wouldn't I be? Jim is my chosen Consort. I am delighted to be performing the Ceremony of Bonding."

"Dar'a, could you please excuse us?" Uhura stood up, the red silk robe upon her body flowing elegantly down her legs. "I'd like to speak to my friend alone for a moment."

"Of course." Bowing, Dar'a turned and left the room, the door closing silently behind her. Lyla slumped instantly, her elbows on the table and her face in her hands.

"I can see how delighted you are," Uhura remarked wryly. "Slightly more delighted perhaps than if you were on the way to your execution."

"I'm sorry. I know that I'm making this into a bigger deal than it should be." Lyla stood up and began to pace. "We're only doing what we have to do. Once this ceremony is over, the Captain and I can sequester ourselves with the Matriarch and I can attempt to break the hold that someone has over her. Once she is free of control, we can move quickly to try and identify who is involved and this whole nightmare will be over."

"Then why do you look like the salad that you just ate is on the verge of revisiting us?" Uhura placed her hand on Lyla's pale shoulder, halting her nervous circuit of the room.

Lyla hesitated and then blurted out, "Jim and I slept together."

Uhura blinked, startled by the exclamation but not the revelation. She smiled. "I'm not shocked, if that's what you were expecting. You two have been generating enough sexual tension to keep Spock and I going on the side."

Lyla flopped down on the sofa and looked at Uhura with sad eyes. "I think I'm falling in love with him. And now he's being forced to do the one thing he's more terrified of than anything else – with ME. We'll never have a chance at a real relationship now. He's going to run screaming in the other direction as soon as this is all over."

"I think you're overreacting." Uhura sat herself down, Lyla leaning over to place her head in Uhura's lap, her fingers stroking the back hair. "He obviously cares about you. This is just a momentary bump in the road. After we've stopped Majel, we'll get this marriage annulled, and then you can get back to what you were doing."

"I know he cares for me. I can, for lack of a better explanation, sense it when we touch. I've never had a connection with anyone as deep as the one I have with him. I was afraid at first that he would be scared of it, but when we were together he accepted it easily." She closed her eyes and remembered. "It was beautiful."

"And, if any of the rumors are true, probably pretty pleasurable, too," Uhura teased.

Lyla blushed and sat up again. "I don't want to kiss and tell."

"Come on." Uhura turned to the side, one leg coming up on the couch. "I haven't had a girlfriend in years, you know? I've been so focused on school and work – and I'm fine with that. But I like to think that you and I are alike, and I wouldn't mind having a female friend to gossip with occasionally. I had a roommate at the Academy." Uhura stopped and blinked back the few tears that always came to her eyes when she thought of her. "Gaila. She was wild and crazy, and my best girlfriend. She was the only person who could get me to relax and act like a normal girl."

"What happened?" Lyla asked softly, her hand resting on Uhura's.

"She was on the Farragut when Nero attacked Nero."

Lyla nodded in understanding. "We all lost friends that day."

"So, tell me." Uhura giggled. This was not like her at all, but it had been such a long time since she had giggled with Gaila over boys. And Lyla was looking less pale and more healthy with her mind distracted. "How was it?"

Lyla giggled and leaned in toward her. "All the rumors are true. He's amazing."

"Of course." Uhura sighed in mock irritation. "Only someone that was really that amazing would be as cocky as him. Pun definitely intended."

Lyla shrieked with laughter. "Generous, sweet, rough when necessary. Just perfect. Great stamina." She grinned slyly. "Now you have to tell me – is it true that Vulcans are as intense in bed as they are out of it? Spock's feelings for you are so powerful. Sometimes his mind is just screaming them out to me. It's so lovely."

Uhura beamed. She knew Spock loved her, but the confirmation was always nice to hear. "And how. He is the most passionate man I've ever known."

A knock sounded at the door and Dar'a entered, her face smiling. "Are you ready to proceed with the ceremony? They are waiting for you in the South Garden."

Lyla looked at Uhura and smiled. "Thank you for distracting me."

"You ready to get married?" Uhura stood up.

"As ready as I think he and I will be at this point in our relationship." She winked. "Thank you for standing up with me. Let's get this show on the road."

"Lead the way, Dar'a." Both women proceeded out the door and down a long hallway before Dar'a parted them.

"Mistress Lyla, your consort is waiting for you in this antechamber. You will enter the garden together." She bowed low and led Uhura down the hall, but not before she turned to wink supportively at her new girlfriend. Lyla took a deep breath and pushed open the door, finding Jim standing at the window, a dark robe around him. He started slightly and turned toward her as the door closed.

"Lyla." He was a bit pale, but thankfully his hands had stopped shaking.

"How are you, Jim?" She stepped forward t and took one of his hands in one of her own. "If you're having second thoughts, we can still back out of this and find another way."

"No. This is short and to the point. We can get it annulled later. It doesn't actually mean anything." He closed his eyes and shook his head, missing the brief pained look on her face.

"You're absolutely right." She let go of his hand and turned to look out the window, rubbing her arms with her hands. For some reason she felt cold all of a sudden.

Jim realized he was a little hurt that she walked away from him and wondered if she was already beginning to pull away. What woman would not be terrified of being forced into a marriage after having only known a man for three days – especially a man like him? He felt an urge within him to try and actually salvage this burgeoning relationship and moved behind her, placing his hand on the small of her back, feeling her shudder delicately as the warmth of his skin soaked through the thin silk material. "You look beautiful, Lyla."

"It's not actually our wedding day, Jim." She struggled to keep her tone light and her eyes focused outside, although she knew her words were a little harsh. Lyla did not want him to see the emotions she could feel running through her. It was clear that he held some affection for her, but the last thing she wanted was to scare him even more than this ceremony was by allowing him to see how much she cared for him – and right now she was convinced that it showed in her eyes. She had to protect herself. "You don't have to compliment me as if it were."

"What if I just want to compliment you because you look beautiful?" He shifted his right hand to her other arm and forced her to turn toward him. Lyla dipped her head down, her eyes focused on the tie of his bathrobe, willing herself under control. "And you do, you know. Look beautiful."

"Thank you." Her voice was a whisper and she felt irritation that she did not have better control over herself. Jim's hand came up and ghosted across her chin, lifting her face to his, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"You're welcome." He grinned, pleased when she blushed prettily in response. "Would I be breaking some long-held Betazoid tradition if I were to kiss the bride before the wedding?"

"No, I don't think so." She smiled back at him, and he took the opportunity to slide his hands up to cup her face, his head lowering to hers, lips touching gently. She whimpered quietly at the teasing touch of his mouth, lips rubbing against hers, tongue dipping out to delicately taste her. He paused momentarily and found they were both breathing harder. She grinned at him, "I won't tell if you won't."

He backed off, trying to get his body under control. The last thing he needed before walking into a room completely naked was to lose control like that, with Lyla's body rubbing against his. He still could not control his own involuntary reaction when she was around. He laughed and backed further away from her. "Maybe we should hold off on doing anymore of that until after I have to walk around naked in front of my coworkers."

Lyla chucked quietly and he closed his eyes, relishing that rich sound he found himself longing to hear on a more regular basis. "Don't worry, Jim. We walk into the ceremony clothed. The participants – bride, groom, and guests – do not remove their clothing until halfway through the ceremony."

"Good to know." A knock at the door interrupted them and the same woman from earlier stepped in.

"Are you ready? We are ready to begin." Jim looked at Lyla, their eyes meeting. Her black eyes were fathomless, pulling him in. His hand was shaking again, slightly, but he reached out toward her despite it and felt her small fingers slip into his, gripping firmly.

***********

"We gather here in the presence of the Goddesses Dahir and Sahilliyah, to bind the spirits of these two individuals – to create between them a unity of mind and body that cannot be put asunder even unto death." Kirk could feel the eyes of everyone in the small garden staring at him, but he could not look away from Lyla; her pale face scrubbed clean and fresh, her black hair tumbling tantalizingly over one pale shoulder, her dark eyes calling out to him. Their gaze had caught when the officiate instructed them to join hands and neither had looked away. He felt the familiar sinking sensation as he continued to gaze into the bottomless dark pools, wondering yet again what she was thinking. Her delicate hands rested in his own larger ones, the familiar burning between them a pleasant buzz in the background – no distinct emotions crossing through except for a gentle feeling of well-being. She had been right when she said that adrenaline pumped up the output. Not she was clearly at peace, as she stood in this garden with her great-niece and great-grandmother behind her. Words continued in the background, but he had eyes only for her.

"All who choose to bind themselves to another do so of their own free will, recognizing that the bond between a Betazoid woman and her Consort supersedes all other bonds in this life and the next." The slim, elegant woman who was speaking turned to the side and produced a small silver knife. Lyla disengaged one of her hands from his and held it up, the knife slicing delicately into her palm. Jim watched with fascination as the dark red of her life blood welled into the tiny bowl created by her hand, holding out his own hand for the same treatment.

"In blood, we are bound to each other. When one bloods, so does the other." She wrapped both of their hands around the other, the blood intermingling, dripping to the floor between them. "When one is injured, so is the other. And if one should perish, the other shall feel this as keenly as their own passing." Kirk swallowed roughly as he felt the familiar power grow in his hand where their blood mixed.

"Do you, James Tiberius Kirk, wish to enter into this bond freely, choosing to put aside your own self to become part of a bonded pair, a greater whole?" He could feel the other woman's eyes boring into his side, but he could not look away from the shining face in front of him – Lyla's steady presence calming him. "I do."

"And do you, Lyla Rihane Stone, wish to enter into this bond freely, choosing to put aside your own self to become part of a bonded pair, a greater whole?" Lyla's gaze did not waver as she answered in a strong voice, the sound ringing through the garden. "I do."

Uhura felt herself smile and gripped her husband's hand more tightly, remembering the feelings coursing through her at her own ceremony just three days earlier. Spock did not respond with voice or look, but his body shifted slightly closer to her and his thumb surreptitiously stroked the back of her hand. She felt blessed by his presence and closed her eyes to say a small prayer to any and all deities listening that both Lyla and Kirk would realize that the person who truly loved them was standing in front of them. She turned her head slightly and saw McCoy's stiff posture next to Kirk, the look on his face no longer one of cynicism, his view of their gaze upon each other beautiful to behold. While the two participants in the ceremony might question whether each loved the other, it was clear to all present that their feelings were worn openly.

"As this pair declares their intention to become one entity rather than two, we are all reborn in a moment of the universe's infinite wisdom." Kirk dimly noted that Lyla's hands were untying his robe and he did the same to her, his mind missing all but her actions in front of him. The material slipped off of his shoulders, but he felt no shame or amusement. "We present ourselves to the Universe as witnesses to this union, in the same manner in which we are born into it. We pray that these two spirits will continue to intertwine themselves. Our naked supplication, both physical and spiritual, demonstrates how frail and small we are before the wonder of the Universe."

Kirk stepped closer, his body brushing against hers, but he felt no physical reaction. Their eyes remained caught. A white gauzy material was being wrapped around them, binding their bodies together. Her gaze did not waver. "In body, you are bound together, never to separate. May you always desire and love each other. May the feelings that brought you together today never waver." Jim could feel the blood pulsing in her veins, the breath drawing in and out of her lungs – as if they were truly connected, as if he were a part of her.

The officiates hands rested upon their heads, and he felt the heat between their still-bleeding palms flare to almost boiling levels. Lyla's fingers tightened on his to the point of pain, but he did not release her. "In mind you are bound, your souls intertwined. May your journey together be filled with joy." Hands dropping, she stepped back.

"In respect for the human traditions of this couple," the spell seemed to break and Lyla and Kirk both turned to the woman, her smile genuine and wide. "I would like to say, you may kiss the bride."

A cheer rose from the crowd around them, and Kirk leaned in, their bodies pressed against each other, his hands gripping her body tightly, her lips hot against his and the breath within her chest rising against him. Lyla's lips were forceful against his, as if she feared they would never kiss again, and he responded in kind, the strange tension building within him during the ceremony pouring into her. His mouth shifted and kept kissing her, his arms sliding around her. Laughter filled the air around them and he felt Bones' hand slap his shoulder before the gauze-like material disappeared and a robe was covering him. Slowly, he disengaged, her eyes wild before him, her lips swollen, but spreading into a happy smile. Uhura's face appeared at her side.

"That was a wonderful ceremony." She slid the purple robe onto Lyla's shoulders and leaned in. "The Matriarch is waiting to speak with you now."

Suddenly, the real reason for the ceremony came rushing back and he finished tying the robe around his waist with vigor, striding forward toward the Matriarch, Lyla at his side. The older woman was smiling warmly, despite the continued unfocused presence in her eyes, and Lwaxana darted forward to wrap herself around Lyla's waist. Jim bowed low, "I believe, your Grace, that this makes us family now."

"However distantly, my dear Captain." The Matriarch's face was unlined and serene, as if no cares in the world existed, her eyes drifting over his shoulder and off toward the sky. Kirk noticed with a frown that Councilor Reittan was standing within hearing distance, his eyes focused intently on their small group.

"My…wife…and I wish to speak to you privately now. It is extremely urgent." He saw Lyla flush brightly out of the corner of his eye as he spoke and a vague feeling of terror swept over him at the ease with which the word "wife" passed through his lips.

"Of course. Let us retire to my chambers and we will discuss this happy event." She began to move forward, Lwaxana releasing Lyla and grasping onto her grandmother, as if her hand were the only thing keeping the older woman from floating free of the ground entirely. Lyla glared at Councilor Reittan as he began to move after them, but the man unexpectedly stopped and turned, heading in another direction. Spock, Uhura and Bones moved with them, following their Matriarch. Kirk realized suddenly that neither Reittan nor Tamarin were present and felt a familiar dread settle low in his gut.

Sabhanna stepped into a door and seated herself as Kirk and Lyla entered behind her, Jim pulling the door behind him. Lyla stepped forward swiftly, hands going straight to the Matriarch's head. It took the royal a few seconds to even notice that something was strange. "Lyla, what are you doing?"

"You're not well, Grandmother. Someone is controlling your mind with the _mens imperium_."

"I feel fine." She struggled to stand, but her body was weak. Kirk stepped behind her chair and gently pressed her shoulders down. "Let me go."

"Grandmother –" Whatever Lyla was going to say was interrupted as a loud explosion sounded through the palace and the very ground under their feet shook violently, throwing Lyla to the ground. Lwaxana was wrapped instantly around his leg and he picked her up, the Matriarch sitting docilely in her chair, seemingly unaware of the event. "What happened?" Lyla cried out softly, rolling to pick herself up off the ground.

"Are you alright?" He gripped her hand and yanked her up, turning, Lwaxana in his arms. Someone was beating on the door and yelling – he distantly heard Spock's voice calling his name. A second louder explosion detonated and Lyla tripped again, pulling them all down. The wall next to them exploded, debris flying through the air. Kirk's ears were ringing and he opened his eyes only enough to see the Matriarch lying next to him, unmoving. Shock rolled through him.

Lwaxana was screaming. He felt hands grabbing at him, pulling him up, and he struggled before he realized it was McCoy shoving a communicator into his hand. His hearing muddled, he realized Bones was yelling at him about Klingons attacking, his hand pointed through a gash where the roof used to be, a Klingon Warbird flying low over the royal compound, another explosion rocking the grounds, this one farther away. Lyla fought to sit up next to him, her hand held to her head. Bones instantly moved in, tricorder out.

"Where the hell are the guards?" Jim realized he was yelling but was having trouble hearing things around him. "Is everyone around here under some kind of mind control or is it that they just can't figure out what the HELL is going on?"

"Captain." Sulu's voice came through loud and clear on the communicator. He glanced to his side and saw Lyla cradling Lwaxana. Bones leaned over the Matriarch, his slow and steady movements telling him all he needed to know of the older woman's fate.

***********

"Do you think the Captain will actually get married?" Chekov's voice was speculative, and he turned his chair to face Sulu. He grinned brightly. "I never imagined him as the type of man to get married, even if it was to stop a war."

"Fifty credits says he doesn't go through with it." Sulu smothered a frustrated sigh at the strange readings on the long-range scanners that had been bothering him for almost an hour now. He heard the door to the turbo lift open and was pleased to note Scotty's presence – hopefully he could figure out what was happening. "He'll figure out a way to do it without the marriage."

Scotty laughed out loud as he caught the tail-end of the conversation. "I can tell you right now, the Captain's hands were outright shaking at the prospect of getting married, even as he beamed down to the surface. It seems our fearless Captain does indeed fear one thing."

"I kind of wish they were streaming video of the ceremony to the ship so we could see if he actually goes through with it. Then we could really make that bet." Chekov turned to Scotty. "Do you think he'll actually go through with it?"

"We should know soon enough, laddie. The ceremony was scheduled to begin 30 minutes ago."

"Do you have any idea what the hell is going on with these sensors? They are completely out of whack." Sulu stood up, relinquishing his chair to the engineer, who slid in comfortably and began to run a diagnostic.

"I think our Captain might be quite sweet on Lt. Stone, and is willing to do practically anything to get the job done." Scotty's forehead wrinkled. "This is quite odd. I can't seem to diagnose why the sensors are reporting these strange readings."

A beeping noise piped up from Chekov's panel, who leaned forward to read, his eyes widening. His voice came out high-pitched as adrenaline suddenly pumped into his system. "Lt. Sulu, I'm reading nineteen, twenty – I'm picking up a massive number of Klingon Warbirds. They are de-cloaking on the other side of the planet."

Scotty stood up quickly, as Sulu slid back into his seat at the conn. "Red alert." Lights and sirens spun up around them. "Mr. Scott, we may need you down in Engineering."

"Aye. I'm on my way." Scotty sprinted to the turbo lift, jumping in and disappearing within seconds.

"They're still arriving. I'm counting 35 Warbirds right now."

"Good God." Sulu paused. "It's an Armada. Chekov, alert engineering to prepare to beam our Away Team back to the ship immediately."

"Aye. 42 Warbirds." Chekov was beginning to sweat a bit, his hands going clammy at the readings in front of him.

"Enterprise to Captain Kirk." Sulu's voice rang out across the Bridge, Ensign Odon at communications perking up.

"48 Warbirds."

"No response to your hail," Ensign Odon reported from Uhura's station.

"Hail them again." Sulu's hands were flying across the panel, preparing to send the ship into warp. "We can't take on an armada of Klingon Warbirds – we have to get the hell out of here."

"This is Dr. McCoy. What's going on, Sulu?" McCoy's irritated voice echoed across the Bridge.

"56 Warbirds."

"Dr. McCoy, an armada of Klingon Warbirds is de-cloaking on the other side of the planet. There is no way the Enterprise can engage them all – we have to leave now. Prepare to be beamed back up to the ship."

McCoy paused as if absorbing the news, but when his voice responded, it was serious and the usual irate tone was missing. "How long can you give us? The Captain and Lt. Stone just got into a closed session with the Matriarch. We need a few minutes."

"Chekov?" Sulu turned his head. "Do they know we're here?"

"Lt. Sulu," Odon's voice was clearly nervous. "We're being hailed by a Klingon vessel."

"Hold that thought, Dr. McCoy. I'll be right back with you. Onscreen, Ensign."

The scarred visage of a Klingon filled the screen, his forehead ridges prominent and eyes hard. "Federation vessel, this is Admiral DimashQ of the Klingon Empire. The planet Betazed is no longer a member of the United Federation of Planets and you have no jurisdiction here – our quarrel is with Betazed only. Leave immediately or we will destroy you as well."

"I am Hikaru Sulu, Acting Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise. We have no intention of engaging you in combat; however, we have personnel on the planet and require several minutes to evacuate them before we can depart."

"The time for your safe departure is diminishing. Leave your crew members on the planet and depart with what you have." He bared his teeth. "You are clearly outnumbered. We offer you safe passage – a rare offer from a Klingon. Take it now or regret it. I have 72 Klingon Warbirds in my Armada and we can destroy you in a matter of seconds."

Sulu hesitated momentarily, but he had command of the ship at that moment and there were 562 lives depending on him. There was no decision to be made. "We will depart immediately."

Ensign Odon cut off the communication with the Klingon and the open communication line with the surface broke in mid-sentence. Kirk was yelling at someone "—can't figure out what the HELL is going on!!"

"Captain," Sulu broke in.

"Sulu. How many ships are we talking here?"

"Seventy-two ships, sir. It's definitely an armada and they intend to attack Betazed. They have hailed us and instructed us to leave immediately. We're prepared to beam you up now."

"Negative, Sulu. We have a situation down here. You need to take Enterprise, get the hell out of here, and bring the Cavalry back with you. Tell Starfleet what is going on."

"But, sir—"

"I said go, Sulu! We'll manage until you get back."

"Aye, Captain." Odon closed the comm channel and Sulu briefly closed his eyes. He could feel the stare of every person on the Bridge boring into him.

"Mr. Chekov, set a course for Earth." Sulu's hand rested on the warp drive control in front of him, his eyes tracking the Klingon Warbirds moving closer to the Enterprise.

"Coordinates set."

"Engaging." The familiar pull of warp speed set in and within seconds the Enterprise was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I apologize for the gap in posting an update to this story, I was out of town for several weeks. I hope you enjoy this update and would really like to hear what you think about it.

**CHAPTER TEN**

The communication channel closed with a solemn tone more final than usual, and Kirk looked up to see Spock and Uhura's grimly set faces. A streak of crimson streamed down Uhura's left cheek, her husband's normally composed face turning dark green along one entire side. Screams echoed outside, as explosions continued to rock the compound. Lwaxana's own screams dropped to low, steady sobbing and he looked down to where Lyla gripped her, rocking back and forth on the floor in an attempt to comfort the girl, and herself he guessed. The Matriarch's body lay prone upon the ground; Bones' sigh seeming to echo despite the noise around them. "She's dead, Jim."

"Dammit." Kirk cursed quietly. A Klingon Warbird streaked overhead, so low to the ground that the wind from the engines whipped through the room, sending them all into a crouch.

"Captain, we should appropriate clothing and arm ourselves. Our uniforms and weapons are only a few rooms away." Spock was crouched low over Uhura, her body protected from debris still falling from the ceiling.

"Let's get moving." Jim ran quickly, bent low, toward Bones. "Can you carry her, at least to the other room? We can't just leave her lying here."

"I can manage." McCoy was hoisting the older woman's body before he had even finished speaking. Jim turned to speak to her, but Lyla was already standing, slightly unsteady on her feet but Lwaxana secured firmly in her arms. He nodded to her and the group took off running, tripping over debris and bodies. Uhura recognized the burnt face of Dar'a from earlier in the day under an over-turned table and bit back a sob. This was why she wanted to come on Away Trips, for the action and excitement. Spock's firm hand around her was keeping her sane. McCoy was muttering under his breath, the dead woman in his arms.

The door to the room where their belongings were stored was still intact and Kirk hit it at a dead run, his feet skidding as he slammed into the wood. Yanking the door open, he ushered them all inside quickly. Modesty forgotten, clothes were pulled on and phase pistols strapped to hips. Lyla was wrapping the Matriarch in a blanket and laying her under a bed. "We can't just leave her body lying out. At least if she's hidden under here there is a possibility the Klingons won't find her body right away."

Lwaxana was standing, unsure of what to do or say, clearly dazed by the death of one of her few remaining family members. Kirk was turning to Spock when the door flew open, the din of shots ringing out driving all coherent thought from his mind momentarily. He vaguely registered Lyla diving across the room, knocking Lwaxana over and rolling with her behind a table. Spock flung himself to the ground, covering Uhura, as Jim and McCoy crouched behind the ornate dresser next to them. He could see Lyla cowering behind the table, Lwaxana under her, as the table was struck several times. "Lyla!"

Pulling his weapon out, he noted that McCoy was armed beside him, and he nodded to his friend. Even as he stood up, the firing halted and he paused – hand out, telling the others to wait.

"Captain Kirk." A familiar voice echoed through the room, strangely quiet after the noise of the firing weapons. He knew that voice. Dread filled him and he met Lyla's terrified gaze from across the room. Majel Troi had arrived in the royal palace of Betazed and there was no Matriarch here to stop her.

"Captain Kirk, I know you are in here. Please rise from behind that dresser. It's rather undignified for a man in your position to cower, don't you think?" Kirk motioned for the others to remain down and slowly stood. Six Klingons in full battle regalia were standing, firearms pointed at him. Behind them, Majel Troi stood in splendid robes – her ornate outfit a striking contrast to the destruction surrounding her.

"Majel." He acknowledged her with a curt inclination of his head. "I prefer to think of it as a defensive position."

"Always ready with a quip, aren't we, Captain? There now, isn't it better to stand?" She smiled in her familiar sickening manner and strode forward confidently. "And Lyla, I know you are here as well. Perhaps all of your companions should reveal themselves, Captain, so we do not waste our time with petty games."

Jim turned his head slightly, catching Lyla's vision out of the corner of his eye and nodding. She stood, Lwaxana in her arms, the girl's face buried in her shoulder. Uhura, Spock and McCoy grudgingly stood up, the doctor's face fixed in a severe scowl. Majel strode forward, her hand sliding down Lwaxana's arm, as both she and Lyla flinched in reaction. Jim felt his muscles tense and the urge to attack her spilled through him, but he saw the Klingon soldier next to him adjust his weapon and train it directly upon him, and he did not move.

"Lyla Stone, you have sent me on quite the little journey tracking you down." Majel leaned forward and smoothed her hand across Lyla's forehead quite deliberately, Lyla's entire body flinching in response. "I'm glad that you decided to work with me instead."

"I don't want to work with you." Lyla's voice was quiet, quieter than normal, childlike; nothing like her normally strong voice.

"Lyla." Jim automatically reacted, realizing what Majel was trying to do.

"Be quiet, _ptaQ_!" The Klingon closest to him stabbed him harshly in the back with the muzzle of his weapon and Jim let out a harsh grunt at the pain, his upper body dropping forward reflexively. Bones' hands came around his arms to keep him upright. Majel ignored him and Lyla didn't even appear to notice.

"Set Lwaxana down." Lyla obediently dropped her niece onto the floor, her short legs taking her immediately to Kirk, who swooped down and picked her up. The fear of what was happening in Lyla's mind was growing inside of him. He could see Uhura edging slowly closer to the communicator lying on the floor near her.

"I wouldn't bother doing that, Lt. Uhura. Your ship left orbit around Betazed thirty minutes ago. They are most likely enroute to Earth at this point." Majel didn't even have to glance behind her. Her hand suddenly pushed violently on Lyla's forehead, forcing her to her knees, Lyla crying out in pain. Only McCoy's hand on his shoulder and the feel of Lwaxana's shaking body in his arms kept him from leaping across the room to tackle the Betazoid traitor.

"You're going to come with me and run through all of the information in the database from the Suwayda space station."

"Yes." Lyla's eyes were unfocused and looking absently across the room. Jim felt his heart clench in agony and wondered briefly if he really was connected to her now, could feel her internal struggle to throw off the mental control Majel was clearly trying to impose on her. "It is very difficult to understand the composition of the _Arbitrium_ plant. I didn't have time to transcribe my notes."

"Yes, it was very difficult. But you did it, my grandchild. I am very proud of you." Majel released her hold on Lyla's forehead. "Now, stand up off of that dirty floor and come with me."

"Of course, your Grace." Lyla stood straight up, and began to immediately walk toward the door. Jim could do nothing except stand there, watching the woman he cared for walk away with the very traitor who wanted to kill her. A Klingon approached him as the others continued to train their weapons on the Away Team and ripped Lwaxana out of his arms, the young girl screaming and violently fighting to remain with him.

"Goddamn you, you can't take – " The butt of a weapon hit the side of his head, his vision exploding in black and red stars at the sudden intense pain, and he fell, his hands releasing Lwaxana. Bones' hands were on his back, lying him down immediately. He vaguely heard Majel speaking in the background, and he tried to ask McCoy what was happening, but everything faded to black.

****************

"Lyla!" He bolted straight upright from where he had been lying, the terror of the final moments before unconsciousness coming back to him suddenly. McCoy's blurred face appeared immediately and hands were pushing him back to a reclined position.

"Jim, take it easy. You took a nasty knock to the head. You've probably got a pretty severe concussion." Bones was pulling his eyelids back now and Kirk struggled against the urge to vomit as his head began to throb violently, the pain waking up along with his consciousness. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two?"

"I'd like that answer more if it hadn't been in the form of a question." McCoy sighed. "Spock, help me prop him up." Strong hands were lifting him and placing him in an upright position. His head was pounding and his mouth felt like cotton. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he cracked his eyes open, only to be met by the sight of his rather bedraggled Away Team. The blood on Uhura's face had been cleaned up slightly, but the side of Spock's head was a brilliant combination of black and green, indicating that he had taken quite the beating during the attack on the palace.

"Where are we?" His voice was a hoarse croak, and he swallowed roughly before speaking again. "Where are Lyla and Lwaxana?"

"We are in a Klingon holding cell within one of the ships that landed near the royal palace. We were brought here immediately after Lt. Stone and Lwaxana were taken." Jim was glad with everything inside of him that Spock could remain as unflappable and calm in the face of this emergency as if they were having lunch in the Messhall. "No one has entered our cell since that time."

"How long was I out?" He tentatively touched the tender side of his head and looked at his fingers, the sticky residue of drying blood apparent even in the dim light of the holding cell.

"About two hours. I was worried that you weren't going to wake up at all." Bones was taking his pulse now and Jim wanted to shake his hands off. "They took our communication devices and my tricorder."

"I'll be fine, Bones. I've gotten the shit kicked out of me before. Remember when Nero threw me across his ship? I managed to survive that."

"That was just your internal organs, Jim. This is your head we're talking about." He glared at Kirk. "Even you can't take a hit like that and not have some side effects."

"They haven't come in to speak to us since then?" Kirk tried to sit up further and instantly stopped when his body rebelled. Uhura sat down next to him and began to clean the side of his head with a small piece of cloth from her pocket.

"No, they haven't. I'm hearing snatches of conversation, but no one has said anything about Lyla or Lwaxana. They're all too busy talking about the dilithium."

"It appears, Captain, that Majel Troi may have reached an alliance with the Klingon Empire: their assistance in retaking the Betazoid throne in exchange for unlimited access to the dilithium mines here on Betazed." Spock stood up, his hands behind his back, as if this were any other day on the bridge of the ship. "That is all we can discern from what Lt. Uhura has been able to hear of conversations outside. They also appear to be in full control of the planet."

"With the exception of Majel's cruiser, Betazoid ships aren't known for their firepower. And Betazoid itself isn't known for its military capability – it was one of the reasons they joined the Federation." Kirk took another deep breath through his nose and re-opened his eyes, pleased that the sight in front of him was less blurred. "I'm not surprised it only took a few hours for a heavily-armed Klingon armada to take over."

"So to summarize, we're incarcerated on a planet controlled by Klingons and a power-hungry deposed former runner-up Matriarch, the Enterprise is long gone, and Lt. Stone is missing, most likely under Majel's mental control." Bones' summary painted a bleak picture indeed. Kirk scrubbed his face with his hands roughly and blinked several times. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted as the door to their cell opened with a loud creak. They all stood quietly, including Jim, who regretted it as he momentarily swayed unevenly.

Councilor Reittan's triumphantly smiling face peered at them from the door before he entered, followed by two heavily armed Klingons. "Captain Kirk, how is your head?"

"Go to hell." Kirk felt the anger in him rise. Reittan's eyes were far too sharp and calculating for him to be under anyone's control, which meant that he was involved in Majel's coup. "How could you help someone place your own planet under Klingon control?"

Reittan's eyes grew angry and the smirk upon his face turned into an angry scowl. "My reasons for my actions are my own. They are none of your business."

"They became my business when you took my wife, dammit!" Jim moved, the anger within him surging to the front, not stopping when a Klingon raised his weapon to swing.

"Captain." Spock's hand on his arm slowed his approach. Jim's breathing was labored as adrenaline pumped through his system.

"Where is Lyla?" Kirk gritted the words out through clenched teeth.

"Busy." Reittan's tone was dismissive. "You four will come with me now. You are to be traded back to the Federation in exchange for their formal recognition of Majel as the Matriarch of Betazed. Stay on your best behavior, Captain Kirk, or Admiral DimashQ will have to teach you a lesson." Kirk remained stiff, his crew behind him maintaining their silence.

"I'm not afraid of you, Reittan. And the Federation will never grant recognition to Majel in exchange for four officers."

"I never said the lesson would be inflicted on you. I'm sure Admiral DimashQ would not overlook the opportunity to spend time with a woman as _talented_ as Lt. Uhura." White teeth flashed a vicious smile in Uhura's direction, and she fought the bile rising in her throat. Spock did not respond to the threat, but his hand holding hers tightened to the point of pain, and she clung to that physical stimulus to anchor herself, to push down the fear rising in her. Kirk and McCoy scowled simultaneously. Neither man appreciated threats to women in any form, and especially when it was toward a woman they both cared for and respected.

"And you are the senior staff of the Federation's flagship – I highly doubt they will leave you to be executed by Klingons. But Matriarch Majel was correct – she anticipated you would be hostile when you heard." He turned and began to walk out. "Bring them to the palace, even if you have to knock them unconscious and drag them." The Klingons began to approach, an unhealthy gleam in their eyes, before Kirk willingly began to walk forward, his team following. Jim had no doubt that Uhura could handle herself in a fight, but he refused to hand her over to a vicious Klingon commander because of his own pride.

Intimidating Klingon warriors lined the halls of the ship, but it was the vision outside that brought tears to Uhura's eyes. The once beautiful marble palace was pockmarked with craters and holes, the pale stones themselves blacked from flames. Klingon Warbirds littered the grounds themselves, while others flew past overhead, the screams of their engines designed for space reaching deafening levels within the planet's atmosphere. Reittan did not pause to see the overturned gardens or to note the destruction of rooms within the palace turned into piles of debris. Spock's face remained impassive beside her, a startling counterpoint to the growing anger on both McCoy and Kirk's faces. She swallowed her own anger and fear and focused on her husband's hand, her thumb twisting the new ring upon her left hand. It calmed her.

The familiar doors of the High Council chamber loomed ahead, swinging open silently as Reittan approached, robes flapping around his quickly moving legs. Majel was seated upon the Matriarch's throne, Councilors lining the Hall. Kirk noted that a majority of them did not appear pleased with this current turn of events, but the presence of several dozen heavily armed Klingons seemed to be maintaining the current quiet status of those unhappy politicians. Lwaxana was seated on a short tour next to Majel, perfectly dressed, her hair pinned up and her hands primly held in her lap.

McCoy was openly startled. "I've never seen that kid sit still. I spent half the day she was in Sickbay practically holding her down."

Kirk studied the girl intently and was dismayed when he noted that the left side of her face near her ear was visibly turning purple. Her eyes were wide and terrified, and glassy, as if holding back a stream of tears. The hands held in her lap were white around the knuckles, the fingernails digging into her own skin. Jim felt white-hot anger sweep through him at the thought of Majel or anyone else laying a hand on a young child and had to physically bite his lip to keep from yelling. He tasted the iron of his own blood seep into his mouth even as he tried to appear outwardly calm. Kirk felt the moment that McCoy noted Lwaxana's bruises, his body going stiff and what sounded very much like an angry growl emanating from him. It was something the two men shared – a visceral reaction to the pain of small children and women alike.

"Captain, I am so pleased that you and your crew chose to join us with minimal argument." Majel gave the impression of calm detachment, her body lounging casually upon the throne, but her eyes were alert and sharp, darting around the room. "There is no reason why we cannot be civil to each other until you are returned to Federation custody. After all, the ascension of a new Matriarch to the throne of Betazed is strictly an internal matter, especially considering that Betazed is no longer a member of the United Federation of Planets."

"I'm guessing Betazed has begun a new partnership with the Klingon Empire." His tone was derisive and he noted her eyes took on the gleam of anger – a small victory, but one he nonetheless savored.

"Yes, she has. With the powerful allies of the Klingon Empire, Betazed shall reach new heights of power within the Universe. We should be using the dilithium deposits upon this planet to become the merchants we are meant to be – and I intend to see the Betazed fulfill its promise."

"Then I am sure that to maintain a peaceful relationship between this new Alliance and the Federation, that you will be returning all of the Federation officers on Betazed, including Lt. Stone."

The Matriarch shook her head negatively, her voice a parody of sadness. "I am afraid, Captain Kirk, that your new wife will not be returning with you. She has chosen to pursue her Betazoid heritage, forsaking her commission and her bonding to a human."

"Why do I find it hard to believe that Lyla would choose to work for someone who tried to kill her?" He sneered at her. "But considering that you're controlling her mind, I'm sure she would say whatever you want her to."

"Captain," Majel laughed. "Do you hear yourself? Suggesting that Lyla is under some form of mind control?"

"You and I both know it's true – and so does the Federation." Jim's hands were fists at his sides, the urge to strike at Majel strong within him. "I want to see her."

"Perhaps hearing her choice from her own lips will convince you." Majel turned and spoke quietly with a Klingon guard before returning her gaze to the Enterprise crew. "The Federation was contacted an hour ago, and the _USS Cochrane_ is on its way here to pick you up within the next 12 hours. They have assured me that they will provide the formal recognition I require in exchange for you and your crewmates before you are transported away. I believe we will all gain what we want from this venture."

The door behind the throne opened and Lyla shuffled in, her feet dragging along the ground, her gait shuffling. She had changed from her uniform to the robes of a Betazoid courtier and she stopped at the side of the throne to bow deeply. "You requested my presence, your Grace."

"Yes, Lyla." Majel gestured toward Kirk. "Please tell the Captain and his crewmates about your decision to remain here on Betazed. I'm sure your husband would like to know that you have decided to remain here on Betazed. I'm sure your husband would like to know that you will be severing your recent bonding."

"Yes, your Grace." Lyla turned silently and approached the group, her eyes gazing at the wall behind him. Kirk reached his hand out to grasp her clothed arm, unsurprised when she did not react, her eyes remaining away from his. It hurt him to see her dark eyes so unfocused, unwilling to meet his. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and timid, not the confident tone he had grown to appreciate. "Captain, Matriarch Majel speaks the truth. I will be remaining here on Betazed, working for the new Matriarch. I have chosen to forsake my Federation commission and to sever our bonding, so that I may fully embrace my Betazoid heritage."

"Lyla, you don't mean that. I know how much you love your work with the Federation." Jim hoped the pleading in his voice did not sound as pathetic as he believed it did.

"I apologize Captain Kirk; if you are not pleased with my choice, but I must do what I believe is right." Her eyes shifted slightly toward him and he prayed that the shock he felt at what happened next did not show on his face. Lyla's left eye carefully winked at him and her hand grasped his bare skin, the heat between them flaring painfully – her signal to him coming through loud and clear. "You of all people should understand doing what is right, even when it means breaking rules or promises."

She turned and walked away, but Kirk suddenly felt reinvigorated. Whatever else was happening here, Lyla was most definitely 100% free of mind control.

**********************

Lyla worked feverishly at the desk in the small laboratory. The major plus of Majel's belief that she was under her mental control was that only a single Klingon guard was left within her presence, and he was standing out of the laboratory, in the hallway. The early tests of a treatment to prevent the use of the plant against a person had obviously worked. She had only been exposed to them for a short period during testing, but she had immediately known what Majel was attempting and had no problem remaining in control of her own faculties. Luckily, her notes on the treatment were encrypted and while she was "deciphering" them for the imposter, she would just happen to write a few things incorrectly.

Kirk and the rest of the Away Team had looked more than a little worse for wear, and she knew they were being kept under lock and key on one of the Klingon ships until the _Cochrane_ arrived to whisk them away. She was sure that the _Enterprise_ would update the Federation as to what was happening on Betazed, but there was a treaty between the Federation and the Klingons – a treaty the Federation would be hesitant to threaten, even with the loss of the Betazoid dilithium mines. That meant that her escape and Lwaxana's depended upon her own ingenuity – and thankfully her scientific classes had not focused solely on botany. Jim had to have known from her wink and touch that she was free of control, which meant that if she could just get her and her great-niece to the rest of the _Enterprise_ crew, they would have a chance to get off of Betazed alive.

A few normal chemicals in a botanist's lab, mixed together in the proper proportions, would create a variety of effects. Not to mention the fact that the greenhouse in the palace's gardens included a wide range of plants with hallucinogenic properties; several ancient rituals in the Betazoid culture involved their use, and she had studied both the plants and their uses for several years. With a little bit of time and luck, and not a little skill, she could synthesize a liquid that would render the Klingon guard in the hallway useless – she just had to inject him with it. It was clear that he did not consider her a threat, and she figured that if she moved quickly enough she could get it into his system before he realized what was happening. Then it would just be a matter of staying out of harm's way for the ten seconds it would take for the effects to take over. The bright blue liquid in front of her bubbled over the small heating unit and she leaned forward to smell it. The primary identifying factor of the _Aureus_ plant was the smell – something uniquely tart that she enjoyed and had always been able to easily detect. She dipped the small hypospray canister into the liquid and loaded it into the hypospray. Ten more canisters lined the deep pockets of her formal court robes. Another blessing in disguise – if she had remained in her Starfleet uniform, she would not have been able to disguise the contents of her pockets as easily.

Lyla's head sprung up as a brief shuffle of footsteps outside of the door startled her from her concentration, and she quickly lowered the heat on the heating unit on the table in front of her, turning to the desk behind her and her notes on the _Arbitrium_ plant. The door slid open and Reittan strode in. Lyla felt her skin literally crawl at his presence but forced herself to remain calm.

"I see you are hard at work, dear Lyla." He drew her close, his arm brushing against hers, his head turned toward her neck. She could feel his breath upon her skin and she struggled to maintain the detached voice she had adopted the moment she realized the Matriarch was attempting to control her.

"Of course, Councilor Reittan. I serve the Matriarch." She annotated another note on the PADD in front of her and tried to ignore him.

"As do we all." Fingertips slid down the side of her shoulder and brushed against her clavicle. "Once the humans are gone and your bond is officially severed from the one called Kirk, you will continue to reside in the palace."

"I will reside wherever the Matriarch places me."

"I have asked her to consider my marriage offer for you." Reittan was blunt, she'd give him that. Lyla struggled to breathe normally, her vision going dark as she realized the fate that awaited her if she stayed on the planet. Everything within her was crying out in pain and rage, and need – and she realized it was a need for Jim. Her mind flashed rapidly to the touch of his hand in hers only an hour before in the Council Room, the pleading in his brilliant blue eyes as e begged her to say that the Matriarch was lying, the memory of their bonding in the Garden earlier that day.

She loved Jim Kirk and she was going to get back to him, no matter what it took.

"If the Matriarch believes our marriage would be appropriate, I will of course obey her wishes." Her fingers moved across the PADD at a steady rate, her attention focused on her work. She could hear the frustration in Reittan's voice as he continued speaking.

"I would hope that you would also wish to be my bonded mate." His fingers gripped her arm and began to dig into her skin; she knew there would be bruises. "You would have position and power."

"Councilor," she set the PADD down and turned to him. "I do not wish to insult Betazoid custom, and as I am still officially bonded to Captain Kirk, it would be inappropriate for me to discuss bonding with another individual."

"No human can fully enter into a bonding with a Betazoid woman. It was an abomination that should never have happened." His gaze was black and his breath harsh. The words were vicious and Lyla wondered with no small amount of fear if Reittan was fully sane. "Your bonding will be severed immediately."

"I understand." She closed her eyes and tilted her head down modestly. "I will wait the Matriarch's decision on your marriage proposal."

"She will approve it, mark my words." His fingers released her arm, but the gloating victory in his voice spilled through her and was, in many ways, worse. "Those Federation dogs will be gone within ten hours and you will be free of your bond. We will be married tomorrow. Finish your work here quickly, Lyla." Her lowered eyes watched his feet spin to the side and walk quickly out of her line of vision.

The door slid shut behind him and her shaking knees gave out partially, her hands gripping the edge of the counter tightly to keep from sliding to the ground completely. There was a slight jingle in her pocket from the hypospray canisters and she felt her strength return. Jim and the others were in the Klingon ship and Lwaxana was three corridors over. She would get her grand-niece and make her way to Jim. In eleven hours she would make her move and they would be getting off this planet.

****************

There were fourteen steps between the west and east walls of the cell in the Klingon ship. Jim knew those steps very well, as he had traveled them over a hundred times now. Bones seemed ready to tackle him in an effort to get him to hold still, but he appeared to realize that Jim needed the physical movement to keep him from going insane. Fear for Lyla was surging through him and he had been jittery since the moment she revealed herself free of mental control. While he was pleased that she was aware of her surroundings, the danger level had risen dramatically. Betazoids were highly capable of detecting dishonesty in others – especially a telepath as capable as Majel. The only hope Lyla had was that her mental strength was enough to stand up to Majel's scrutiny – and that the newly self-installed Matriarch was too busy and distracted to fully keep an eye on her at all times.

"Captain." Uhura's voice called to him quietly and he turned from his set track, disrupting the pace he had maintained for some time. His communications officer sat close to the door of their cell, listening intently to the Klingons passing in the hallway. Traffic had increased in the last hour and even without a watch, he knew that the arrival of the _Cochrane_ must be imminent. "There is a lot of agitation. Something has happened that they are really not happy about – something about the Federation."

"Anything specific?" He moved closer to her, noting in his peripheral vision that Spock and McCoy were visibly perking up, paying attention.

"I'm not sure. They aren't being specific; it's more just general anger – lots of cursing and declarations of their intent to destroy the Federation. But it just began about five minutes ago. Something's happening."

"Perhaps the _Cochrane_ has arrived with additional Federation ships?" Spock was standing close to them, his voice quiet. "A show of force on the part of the Federation would be enough to agitate the Klingons."

"Maybe."

"Jim!" Bones' voice sharply caught his attention and he turned, shocked, as the air in front of him shifted and Hikaru Sulu appeared in front of him within the prison cell. He immediately felt elated – his ship was back.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, Sulu." Jim clamped his hand firmly on his helmsman's shoulder. Sulu grinned and passed them each a communicator. An explosion outside rang out and all five officers instinctively flinched from the sound.

"I didn't come alone."

"What's going on Sulu?" Uhura stood up from the floor, brushing the dirt off of her uniform. "The Klingons running around outside are pretty irritated."

"I hope so. Two-thirds of the entire Fleet is pulling into this solar system as we speak." Sulu opened his own communicator. "Sulu to Enterprise. I have the Captain and the others here. Five to beam up."

"You got it." Scotty's excited voice came back immediately. "It'll be good to have you back, Captain."

Kirk yanked his hend away from Sulu. "Lyla is still in the palace. We can't just leave her here." He felt the beginning of the transporter. "Wait—"


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Lyla wasn't considered a threat now, making it easy to arrange a walk to Lwaxana's room and convincing the Klingon guards that only one of them needed to accompany her and her grand-niece for a short walk in the hallway. She had convinced them that forced inactivity was unhealthy for Betazoid children, a fact the ignorant Klingon warriors in front of her were unable to counter. Combined with their belief that she was mentally incapable of moving against them or the Matriarch, it was easy enough to get Lwaxana moving into the hallway, their escort only a few feet behind. Lwaxana knew something was happening, her fingers so tight that her tiny crescent nails were digging into Lyla's hand, but she was silent, her usual energetic personality controlled by fear.

A second Klingon guard ran up to them at the second corridor they passed, his angry guttural language spilling out to excited their own escort. Lyla gripped the hypospray in her pocket tightly with her right hand and turned to view their conversation, even though she could not understand what they were saying. Suddenly their weapons were aimed at her and Lwaxana.

"You will both return to the child's chambers immediately." Her escort moved forward, his eyes burning, his lips a snarl. "Immediately!"

"Of course." She turned and gripped Lwaxana's hand tightly, pulling her quickly along the hall back the way they came. It was farther from her destination of the prison ship in the courtyard, but she could not take on two Klingons at once. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the second Klingon depart and her escort turn to follow behind her. At the door to Lwaxana's rooms, she waited until he had entered behind her before she made her move. Pushing the child out of the way, she whirled around, the hypospray in her hand in the Klingon's neck before he knew what was happening. Shock coupled with the fast-acting nature of the sedative threw him off balance and against the wall, but did not knock him out before his finger reflexively depressed the trigger of his weapon and searing pain ripped through her left thigh.

Lwaxana screamed as Lyla and the Klingon collapsed at the same time, his body slamming to the floor in unconsciousness, her legs collapsing underneath her. The smell of charred flesh filled the room and Lyla could see the black creep along the edges of her vision as she gripped her leg between her hands. Lwaxana was sobbing, her arms around Lyla, pleading with her not to die. "Shh. Sweetheart, you have to stop crying."

Lwaxana hiccupped. "Please be okay. Please be okay."

The pain was a living thing inside of her, clawing at not only her leg but her heart, lungs and brain, but she forced a half-smile on her face. "Get a towel from the washroom." Lwaxana was running before Lyla even finished the sentence, reappearing at once with a towel in her hands. Lyla wrapped the towel around her leg and pulled as hard as possible, a fresh wave of agony spilling into her, her breath short and labored. One thought was running through her head: she had to get to Jim.

An explosion sounded distantly, jerking her head up, and somehow she knew that it was help coming. Leg dragging behind her almost uselessly, she pulled Lwaxana down the hallway toward her lab. There were painkillers there and a computer. Two Klingons rushed past, ignoring her, and she knew they had bigger problems to deal with. The door to her lab slid open and Lwaxana sat down at the computer, even her basic knowledge telling her how to open a comm channel. Lyla moved toward the first aid kit, the cool hiss of the pain reliever from a hypospray settling into her system, though the throbbing in her leg was only partially muted.

"This computer has been blocked." Lwaxana looked up at her with a fear no ten year old should have in their eyes. "We can't communicate with anyone from here."

"Alright." Lyla shook her head in an effort to clear the pain-induced fog. She gripped the table tightly, her knuckles going white with the effort of remaining upright. "We have to get to a computer that works. I think that explosion we heard was not the Klingons."

Lwaxana was moving toward her when the door to the lab slid open and Reittan stepped in, his eyes clearly insane now. Before she could react, he was striding quickly across the room, his hand flinging out viciously to slam into the side of her head, her cheek burning and her ears ringing. Lyla's leg gave out beneath her and she fell, the side of her head slamming into the steel lab table. The snarl dripping from his lips and Lwaxana's screams cut off as Lyla's vision finally went black and the pain blessedly ended.

****************

Admirals Pike and Barnett were waiting at the edge of the transporter room when Jim's vision cleared and he realized he was back on the _Enterprise_. Neither man apparently expected to see Kirk's glowering visage and both looked confused.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but I was under orders to retrieve you immediately." Sulu's voice was apologetic as he stepped off the transporter pad toward Scotty, whose excited grin was quickly fading as he realized Kirk was far from pleased.

Barnett stepped forward. "Captain Kirk, I'm pleased to see your time in Klingon captivity was not too unpleasant."

Kirk scowled in frustration but responded, aware that there were greater issues at play here than the fate of one woman, even if she was his accidental wife. Sometimes being Captain meant you had to put your personal desires on the back burner and deal with the big picture. "Thank you for the rescue, Admiral." He turned to Pike and nodded. "It's good to see you back on your feet, sir."

"It's good to be back." Pike stepped forward and shook his hand. "I wish you and your Away Team had time to head to Sickbay, but it looks like only Dr. McCoy will have time for that. We need the rest of you on the Bridge immediately."

They were striding through the door to the turbolift before Pike was even finished speaking. At Deck 12, Bones stepped off, but not before making eye contact with Jim and resting his hand momentarily on his shoulder. Barnett and Pike exchanged glances but did not comment on it.

"Starfleet has determined that it is imperative that we re-secure Betazed and remove it from Klingon control. We know that the entire situation was now a plot put into action by Majel and the Klingons. Admiral Conway was hypnotized and the control over his mind broken through the use of hypnosis. The Matriarch shared that much information with us when this project began, at least." Pike shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, he did not survive the process, but he did tell us that it was Majel Troi who ordered the murder of Baril Troi and who personally reprogrammed his brain to do it. We're also holding her responsible for Conway's death."

"He was a good man – a good teacher." Kirk felt the familiar rush of anger. How many lives would Majel destroy before she was stopped?

"That, combined with the information you and your crew have acquired, has led Starfleet leadership to determine that the removal of Betazed from the Federation was not, in fact, the will of the Betazoid Matriarch and that the entrance of the Klingon Armada into Federation space could be construed as an act of war." Barnett paused. "Have you spoken to Matriarch Sabhanna recently? Do you know where they are holding her?"

"The Matriarch is dead." Kirk shook his head, the shocked looks on the two Admirals' faces echoing his own at the time of the event. "She died in the initial attack on the Royal Palace. Lyla and I were in the room at the time and saw it happen." The door to the turbolift opened and they all stepped out, action on the Bridge momentarily pausing as Chekov stepped up from the Captain's chair.

"It is good to have you back, Captain." His smile was boyish and open, and despite everything happening around him, Kirk could not help but smile back.

"It's good to be back, Chekov. Thanks for bringing the cavalry back with you." Chekov and Sulu slid into their seats, manning the conn. Uhura and Spock relieved their replacements, sliding easily into their usual seats, their tattered and bloody appearance in direct contrast to the sterile environment around them.

"Majel has installed herself as the Matriarch and it's obvious she's enforcing that position with the Klingon guards we saw holding the entire Betazoid council at gunpoint." He sank into the seat on the Bridge with a feeling of relief and saw Pick hide a small grin. Only men who sat in the Captain's chair would understand the sensation.

"What about Lwaxana, the Matriarch's granddaughter?" Barnett stood straight, his hands clasped behind him, almost reminiscent of Spock. "And Lt. Stone?"

"We don't know. We saw them both in the Council Chamber about twelve hours ago. Majel has Ly—Lt. Stone working on the data the Klingons stole from the Suwayda and we don't know what she's doing with Lwaxana." Kirk fought the ridiculous urge to tell them that Lyla's official name was really Kirk now, not Stone, and briefly wondered when the hell the idea of marriage had stopped freaking him out and started appealing to him. He had a feeling it had been around the time she'd winked at him in the Council Room and he realized he'd never been so happy to see one specific woman in his whole life. Pike tilted his head and evaluated the Captain in front of him who kept referring to a junior officer with such familiarity – even for Kirk that was unusual.

"As Lwaxana is the only currently surviving recognized heir to the throne of Betazed, it is possible Majel is using her to support her claim to the throne." Spock stood up. "It would explain why she had the child in the Council Room with her."

"Captain, we are receiving an incoming communication from the surface." Uhura turned to him. "It's Majel."

Barnett and Pike moved to either side of the Captain's chair and Kirk stood up. "Onscreen."

Majel's furious face filled the screen, the skin around her nostrils turning white with anger. Her teeth were clenched so tightly, the furious hissing of her words was almost difficult to understand. "What do you think you are doing here? This is an act of war against the planet of Betazed."

Barnett stepped forward as the ranking officer onboard. "Starfleet does not recognize the new Government of Betazed and has acquired proof that the Government of Betazed did not officially recognize the removal of Betazed from the Federation. The arrival of a Klingon armada is, in fact, an act of war against the Federation itself."

"You will regret your decision to come here today. Admiral DimashQ will destroy your Fleet and leave the Federation defenseless." Suddenly her lips turned upward into a sickening smile and she focused on Kirk. "Congratulations on escaping from your prison cell, Captain Kirk. Although I'm sure your wife was a little disappointed that you chose to leave her behind." Kirk felt more than saw Pike and Barnett twitch violently in surprise and turn their heads to look at him, but he saw nothing but the screen as Majel's head drew back to reveal Reittan holding Lyla in front of him, an obviously bloody wound on her thigh wrapped in a towel and a cut on her forehead trailing blood all over her face. Her eyes were wide and angry, Reittan's hand over her mouth keeping her from speaking. Involuntarily, Jim moved forward before he could stop himself from reacting visibly.

Reittan grinned viciously and Majel laughed out loud. "Don't worry, she looks a little worse for wear, but Reittan has promised me he will take _very_ good care of her. I look forward to watching the Klingons destroy you and your ship." Pike placed his hand on Jim's arm to restrain him, even as the screen went black abruptly.

"Son of a bi-" Kirk's voice was interrupted as Chekov practically yelled out. "Klingon ships have opened fire on the Fleet's left flank, sir."

Kirk could hear Uhura busily answering calls from other Starfleet captains behind him and Barnett turned. "If the Klingons want a fight, we'll give them one. Uhura, open a channel to the Klingon command ship.

"Aye." Her fingers flew and she nodded after a moment.

"Onscreen."

"Federation dogs!" DimashQ's lips were pulled back in a sneer, his teeth bared. "You have declared war on the Empire and we will destroy you."

"I am Admiral Barnett of the United Federation of Planets. The Federation has no interest in war with the Klingon Empire, but the woman who offered you this planet had no right to do so. We will fight to re-secure a member of the Federation if you do not remove yourselves immediately."

"Betazed is no longer a member of the Federation."

Kirk stepped forward to the screen, moving past the Admiral. "You know as well as I do, DimashQ, that Majel forced that removal on them just as she arranged your presence here. Our ships are better armed and faster than your Warbirds. We are going to fight, if you stay here." His lips tightened and his hands clenched into fists as he remembered Lyla's bloodied body. "Majel will pay for her crimes. The only question is: will the Klingon Empire pay for them also?"

"We do not fear Starfleet ships. We have more ships present and will destroy you."

"This doesn't have to happen. We can discuss access to the dilithium and stop an intergalactic war if you leave now." Kirk pulled his lips back into a snarl and saw a momentary flicker of hesitation in the Klingon's eyes. "We are taking back Betazed. The only question is: are we destroying your fleet in the process?"

DimashQ did not respond but paused before turning to gesture to someone off-screen. Jim realized he was holding his breath, the entire bridge crew frozen as they waited for the Klingon's response.

Chekov spoke quietly. "The Klingon ships have broken off their attack, sir. They are beginning to move out of Betazed's orbit."

"The Klingon Empire does not wish to go to war with the Federation." DimashQ hesitated before scowling blackly. "We will return to the Neutral Zone. A representative will be in contact to discuss the dilithium deposits." The screen went black and Kirk could not breathe momentarily as he realized that war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire appeared to have been averted.

"Uhura, hail the palace." His shoulders relaxed a fraction. "We should let Majel know that her personal army has decided they prefer peace to all-out war for her stolen throne."

"I'm not receiving a response, Captain."

"Captain," Chekov's excitement perked everyone's interest immediately. "I am tracking Majel's cruiser. They have left the dock near the Royal Palace and are moving into the atmosphere."

"Sulu – intercept that ship." Kirk's hands grasped the back of Sulu's chair so tightly he wondered if the metal would break off into his hands.

*************************

"Those worthless Klingons are leaving!" Reittan's voice was reaching shrill levels and Majel had to restrain herself from turning around and shooting him herself as they hurried to her cruiser. Their movements were hampered by Lyla's struggling until Majel decided enough was enough and threatened to kill Lwaxana with her bare hands if she did not cooperate. The child's hand in hers was clammy with fear, but she pulled her along as they walked quickly. Lwaxana was the last remaining natural heir to the Betazoid throne – she was Majel's ace in the hole and last chance at retrieving the debacle that this had turned into. She was not sure how Lyla had managed to throw off the mind control, if she had ever succumbed to it in the first place – the thought was driving her mad.

"Forget the Klingons. We have Lwaxana and the plant." The door to the cruiser slid shut behind them, the airlock sealing. "Handcuff them both to that chair. We're getting out of here." She sat herself at the conn and began the lift-off procedures. Majel could operate her entire cruiser from one station, as was necessary now. Her worthless crew had apparently fled when the Klingons began to evacuate into their ships. Fury rang through her at the thought of finding them and punishing them for their lack of faith. Those fools would regret running from her.

The ship was lifting into the atmosphere as a hail came in from the Enterprise. Majel had no intention of answering the insufferable Captain Kirk. She was fully aware that the Klingons had turned and run from war with the Federation – although she admitted to being shocked when a majority of the Federation Fleet had arrived in Betazed's solar system. Majel could only deduce that a hypnotist had carefully broken into Conway's mind and discovered that she was responsible for the death of Baril Troi. As far as she was concerned, her insufferable younger sister was the usurper of her throne, and got exactly what she deserved.

"Majel, are you going to answer that?" Reittan was staring at her, his eyes crazed with both fear and madness. The ship breached atmosphere and was confronted through the viewscreen with the entire Fleet, Enterprise directly in her trajectory. At this point, she could do only one thing – play her trump card – Lwaxana's life.

"Answer the hail, Reittan." She stood and smoothed her dress, touching the ceremonial knife in her pocket to reassure herself that it was still there. Starfleet might need some proof that she was willing to kill a ten year old child. She had done far worse in her quest for the throne that rightfully belonged to her and she would not hesitate to do so again. Any spawn of Baril was trash.

Kirk's scowling face filled her screen and she smiled at the thought of his anger. "Captain Kirk, what a pleasant surprise. Are you prepared to allow my cruiser to pass peacefully?"

"Hardly, Majel. You're under arrest for murder. Starfleet security personnel will be boarding your ship momentarily. If you resist, we will destroy your ship." The two Admirals flanked him on the screen, their faces glowering at her. She only smiled wider and tapped a button to pull the camera view back, revealing the Bridge and her hostages.

"Oh, I doubt you will do that, Captain. I have Lwaxana Troi and Lyla Stone on board. Surely you would not blow up the remaining heir to the Betazoid throne? A ten year old child, for that matter." She gestured with her hand to the other side of the Bridge where they were shackled to a chair.

The concern she expected on their faces did not materialize and she momentarily faltered. Surely they were not so determined to arrest her that they would allow an innocent woman and child to be collateral damage? She felt the air shift next to her and she knew what was happening then – they were beaming aboard her ship to take her prisoner. Something inside of her mind snapped and she darted toward Lyla and Lwaxana, her hand ripping her dagger out of her pocket. The distant sound of Kirk and the Admirals shouting into the viewscreen only spurred her on, and the defiant look in Lyla Stone's eyes only magnified the surge of anger, hatred and insanity that was pouring through her.

A Vulcan officer had appeared and was reaching toward her, but she was faster – all those years of planning and plotting were gone and ruined, and this one woman who was in part responsible was within her grasp.

Silver flashed suddenly and crimson erupted, Lyla's throat gaping, blood splashing over in a geyser on Lwaxana's face even as the girl opened her mouth with a shriek. Lyla's mouth and eyes were still widening in shock and surprise, even as her own blood spilled up and over, covering all three females – splashing onto the Federation officers that Majel noted with triumph were too late to save the young woman. A hideous feeling of triumph rose within her mind and somewhere she noted with detachment that she could be going insane.

A hand rested on Majel's shoulder and she saw nothing more.

**************

Someone was screaming Lyla's name hoarsely, but it was not until his hands hit the glass of the viewscreen that Jim realized that tortured sound was issuing from his own throat. Pike and Barnett's hands were on his shoulders, restraining him, their voices shouting unintelligible words around his head, but he heard nothing – he shouldn't be that strong but he could feel himself still overpowering the two men. He vaguely registered Spock taking Majel down and reaching for Lyla, but all he saw was red: scarlet blood spilling from her slit throat, her head lolling backward in an unnatural manner, her eyes wide and terrified – even at this distance he could swear she was looking at him, begging for help. The blood was everywhere, soaking his friend even as the Vulcan moved to help her. In a flash, Spock and Lyla were gone from the screen – transported to Sickbay upon the _Enterprise_, but he could not move. Hands on his shoulders and arms relaxed slightly, gentling from restraint to support. Jim's mind was blank. The dark silence within him was a living thing, clawing at his insides, reaching out around him to mute his own thoughts, the voices of his commanding officers, his bridge crew – even the comforting sound of the _Enterprise_ herself was quiet. He heard nothing, saw nothing.

"Jim." Pike was speaking, repeating himself – how many times he had called his name Kirk could not guess. Kirk forced his head to turn to the side, to shake the muffle of silence from his ear to look at his friend – his mentor. Pike's eyes were an odd combination of shock and pity, his throat swallowing roughly. "Jim, you should go down to Sickbay."

He did not respond, but turned stiffly, the quiet still there. He vaguely registered Chekov's terrified face in front of him, his mouth open in a comical exaggeration of shock. Somewhere in his mind he noted that were this any other situation, he would have teased him for it. Uhura was standing, her hand covering her mouth, as if a simple human appendage could contain a scream threatening to erupt – contain her reaction to the hideous scene played out only moments before on the screen in front of them all. They were all watching him, this crew of young men and women, their eyes scared and shocked all at once as they tried to process what they had just witnessed happen to a woman they knew. A woman who had only two days before walked the halls of this ship. A woman they had rescued from certain death only a few days before. Twenty-four hours ago he stood in a garden.

Kirk's body was jerky and stiff – his movements unnatural. The bridge crew was there, all of them frozen, their expressions shocked and confused, pleading with their eyes for him to lead. They were begging him to say something, to comfort them – but there was no comfort within him to give.

Jerkily, his limbs began to move toward the turbolift, his mind screaming in protest. To go to Sickbay and see her lying lifeless on a bed would drive him mad. "Admiral Barnett, you…" He swallowed thickly at the thought of leaving the Bridge, but he forced himself to continue. "You have the Bridge, sir."

Barnett nodded and Kirk registered it out of the corner of his eye, unable to even turn his head the extra inch to make eye contact. If the eyes of those around him did not stop staring, he would break down. It was building in him, the desire to scream, to shake his fists, to collapse on the floor – but he forced it down. He tamped it tight and held it there with his fists clenched tightly at his sides, a lock on his emotions that he now knew would always be there. Lyla had begun to unlock it, to ease those emotions and feelings out, but now her death was locked there too, the sight of her blood covering her niece and his Vulcan friend sealed along with what he now recognized as his own love for her. He stepped into the turbolift but did not turn, his gaze not on board but in a garden, on a pair of smiling dark eyes, and the door silently closed behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

McCoy had no warning before the transporter shimmered in the middle of the Sickbay he was preparing for possible war with the Klingon Armada. One moment he was on the side of the room giving Nurse Chapel instructions on placing additional suture kits around the bio-beds and in the next moment horror visited him. Spock was moving toward a bed almost before he and the woman cradled in his arms were fully recombined, as blood splashed on the clean carpet. It took Bones only a second to recognize Lyla's dark hair and familiar features spilling over one of the Vulcan's arms and the red gore coating her clothing.

His tricorder was in his hand and his feet near her bed before his brain registered the injury at her throat. "What the hell happened?"

Spock's hands were laying her body upon the bed, even as Lyla's eyes swung wildly to look at him, her skin a waxy white color. "Majel Troi attacked her as we transported to her vessel." The Vulcan's hands were trying to stem the flow of blood but it welled up between his fingers. Both men could hear her choking, terror and blood in her windpipe, her eyes streaming tears. Even the Vulcan's normally stoic face was creased with frustration at the bleeding that would not stop.

"Jesus." Chapel was at his side before he even asked, gauze pushed against Lyla's throat, blood soaking it instantly. She was losing blood at a ridiculous rate and he had to replace it immediately. It only took seconds for a human to bleed out through their carotid artery. "How long ago?"

"27 seconds." Even as Spock spoke, McCoy could see Lyla's movements slow, her body reacting to the loss of blood. The doctor's hands moved automatically, brain refusing to accept that this woman might be dying in front of him. He'd be damned if his best friend's wife – however strangely she had achieved that position – was going to die on a table in front of him only a few days after Bones had already saved her life once. An IV was inserted into her arm, fluids pumping into her system as rapidly as possible.

The only hope of saving her was to find the carotid artery and repair it. Even as his hands dipped into the gaping wound that used to be a graceful neck, Chapel was punching instructions into the bed top lace Lyla's body in stasis, freezing her heart and hopefully preventing brain damage or complete exsanguination. Lyla's eyes turned slowly to his and then dimmed as the stasis program kicked in, her breath hissing quietly until ceasing and the cascade of blood spilling out onto his floor slowing to a drip as the organ furiously pumping it out of her body ground to a halt. McCoy took a deep breath as the stasis appeared to have worked – with her in a controlled state he could repair the damage before taking her out of it – it bought them at least a few minutes. Any longer and the lack of fluids in her system would destroy her body.

For one tiny, sorrowful moment, he let his eyes drift to the colorless hand lying off of the side of the bed, palm up, fingers curled slightly.

McCoy vaguely registered the door opening behind him, and turned his head, knowing instinctively who would be standing there. Jim's face was a chalky white eerily reminiscent of his wife's only moments before, his eyes just as glazed, the pupils just as dilated. The young Captain's eyes swung to the ship's silent First Officer, Spock's impassive face greeting his, the black and blue of his uniform stained and ruined now as Lyla's blood dripped from his hands to the floor. Even the normally stoic Vulcan reacted to the look on his friend's face, his fingers curling tightly into a fist. McCoy saw immediately when Kirk realized Lyla wasn't breathing, his eyes taking in the blood on the floor and table, her hand lying motionless, and before the doctor could react, Jim was bent over, retching on the carpet in front of him.

Chapel cleared her throat and McCoy's world sped up again into real time. Spock moved toward the Captain and McCoy turned forward to save his patient.

The artery that was so busy pumping Lyla's life-force out onto the floor of his Sickbay greeted him as he pulled back a flap of skin, a quarter-inch gash the only trauma to the artery itself. Fortunately, the attack on her neck had destroyed a lot of flesh and barely knicked the artery – if it had been severed completely she would already be dead. It was hard to find something to be grateful for at that moment, but he still thanked God for even the opportunity to try. Blood still moved sluggishly, but not enough to impede a quick irrigation and laser suture. In moments, the gash was closed and he had moved to her trachea, quickly sealing the destroyed portion, suturing the ligaments together. Neither Spock nor the now upright Kirk moved toward him as he and Chapel worked as quickly as possible. He could feel the sweat start to bead on his forehead.

"She's been in stasis for four minutes now, Doctor." Chapel's quiet words echoed in the silence around them.

"Prep the bed for re-animation and insert a second IV into her right arm. She'll swell up from the fluids but we have to replace her blood now or her veins will start collapsing." He was suturing her neck now, the combination of the gash and the laser tool leaving a very visible line across the blood-soaked skin.

"IV in place and bed prepped. Five minutes." Her fingers paused over the buttons and her blue eyes met his.

"Let's insert the tube into her throat and sedate her. I don't want her to wake up and flail around, screwing up my work." He saw Kirk wince as the wide plastic tube slid down Lyla's throat and into her lungs, the animated display above her bed showing exactly what was happening inside her chest.

"Okay, let's bring her out of it." McCoy stepped back, arms folding instinctively across his chest. This was the most difficult part, seeing if she would come out of the stasis. Her body had been dying when she went into it – there was always the possibility that she was too far gone even for this last ditch effort to save her. His eyes narrowed and he focused on the computer screen, waiting for any minor indication that her body was recovering.

Jim moved forward to stand next to him, his hands clenched in fists, his gaze on the bed in front of him, Spock on his right side. All three men waited, silence filling the room, as the computer tried to reanimate Lyla's body.

"One minute." Chapel's voice faltered slightly as she noted the time. Most stasis patients began to recover at the 45 second mark – their pulse and respiration increasing. Lyla remained immobile. The nurse touched two buttons and then stepped back, her gaze as focused as theirs. "90 seconds."

"Dammit." McCoy cursed quietly as the realization set in that they may have been too late. Kirk flinched next to him, obviously aware of what it meant, but he did not speak. It was the longest McCoy had ever heard the man go without saying a word.

"Two minutes." Chapel sounded a bit desperate now, her fingers adjusting the controls on the bed, the sound of computer commands echoing, even as the life-sign monitors on the screen above Lyla's head did not move.

Kirk twitched and moved forward, his hand coming to rest on Lyla's, picking it up from where it hung loosely off of the side of the bed, the pale digits resting in his hand. Fingers intertwined with hers, he gripped her hand tightly and Bones felt something in his gut begin to ache.

And then the monitor above Lyla's head beeped once.

Four heads snapped forward, eyes trained on the life signs waiting for another beep, which promptly occurred as her heart rate elevated another beat per second, and then another.

"Come on, baby, you can do it." Kirk muttered quietly next to her.

"The breathing apparatus has kicked in, Doctor, we've got oxygen moving in and out of her lungs." Chapel's happiness was apparent even in her voice and just this one time, McCoy didn't feel it necessary to remind her that she needed that impartiality. A hint of blood appeared in Lyla's breathing tube and Kirk sucked in a breath.

"It's nothing – she's got blood in her lungs that has to be drained. But her body is trying to pull in oxygen – that is what's important." McCoy moved forward to check the readings a little closer, pulling up the specifics not normally displayed on the first screen.

"With your permission, Captain, I will return to my quarters and exchange these clothes for new ones." Spock's head tilted toward Kirk, who nodded. As the Vulcan moved to exit, the Captain lifted his head and turned toward him, finally breaking his silence. His voice was hoarse, as if his threat was raw, his words seemingly difficult to pull out.

"Spock." The First Officer turned to the man who has only recently become an important part of his life and paused. "Thank you."

"She is my friend, too." The unusually emotional response startled both men enough that they turned to look at each other and missed his departure through the Sickbay doors.

"The next twenty-four hours are going to be the real test." Bones stood next to his friend and looked down at the still body of the woman they had both come to care for in different ways. "She lost so much blood that we had to put her in stasis, so we won't really know her mental and physical state for some time."

"Bones." Kirk said his name, but didn't look at him. McCoy noted that Nurse Chapel had left the area briefly and that the two of them were alone with Lyla. "I thought she was gone."

"So did I, Jim." He placed his hand on his best friend's arm to offer what comfort her could in the face of such a horrible event. "So did I."

*******************

Uhura found Spock sitting on their bed in their new quarters, wrapped in a towel and obviously bathed, but clutching his blood-soaked tunic in his hands and not moving. Her heart stopped momentarily. Even when his mother died, she had not seen him frozen like this. She approached him quietly and sat down on the bed next to him, feeling her limbs tremble. There had been no word from Sickbay and so she had come in search of him, desperate to hear what happened to Lyla and yet afraid to know. "Spock."

His gaze was locked on the tunic in his hands, but flickered up to meet hers momentarily before turning to it. "She is alive, Nyota, for now."

She breathed a sigh of relief, despite the tempering words of his statement. Any hope was better than none at all. "Are you alright, Spock?"

He stood and walked to the recycler, pausing for a moment, his back rigid, before dropping the tunic into it and beginning to dress. "I am….fine."

"You hate fine, Spock. You hate the very word." She felt the skin over her knuckles turn white as she grasped her fingers together tightly. "Please talk to me."

"There is nothing to say. Lt. Stone is in Dr. McCoy's capable hands. Whether she makes a full recovery or not will depend on many variables. I was not injured during the attack."

"Spock." She approached him then, finally, her hands coming around his torso and her cheek resting on his bare shoulder blade. "You did a good thing, rushing her to Sickbay. You saved her life. I am glad you did, and I'm sure Kirk is too."

He tensed momentarily before she felt him force himself to relax. "I did what any Starfleet officer would do. It was a necessary action; I do not believe the qualifiers of "good" or "bad" can be applied to it."

"Maybe. But no other Starfleet officer did this – you did."

"I…" His voice faltered, something she had only heard a few times before, and she waited patiently for him to continue speaking. "I have never seen the Captain look like that before."

Uhura's eyes closed as she thought of Kirk's appearance on the Bridge. She had felt a scream of horror bubbling in her own throat even as she watched him literally crash into the viewscreen in an involuntary attempt to stop the attack on Lyla – the two Admirals standing next to him having difficult restraining him in his rage and terror. The attack had been unexpected and surreal, the sight of her new friend's life possibly ending in front of her a reminder of what she had already lost. "Neither have I," she whispered. "I think, if she dies, that it will be very difficult for him."

"Based on his reaction to this event, I believe you are correct."

"Spock, you know I'm always right." She teased gently, hoping to lift his mood. He often expressed his appreciation for her sense of humor, though to others it would have been difficult to believe. Spock rewarded her with a tightening of his hand over hers.

"You were right about the Captain and Lt. Stone. You told me they were developing a relationship."

"Yes." She sighed and tightened her arms around him and closed her eyes, as if to push out the world around them. "If anything like that happened to you, I don't know what I would do."

"Serving in Starfleet is a dangerous profession. Logic would dictate that we were both aware of these dangers and the possibility of death prior to engaging in a relationship." He turned around and embraced her in a rare show of physical emotion. "But all I could think when I saw the Captain's face was of my own reaction in his place."

************************

Jim Kirk hated Sickbay. He hated the sound of machines beeping in a constant rhythm and the fear that one felt when that rhythm changed. He detested the sharp smell of antibacterial cleaning solution that always seeped into everything that stayed within Sickbay walls for more than a few minutes. The feel of cold metal and unforgiving plastic made his skin crawl whenever it brushed against him, however accidental. In the past, he had been known to check himself out of Sickbay against McCoy's orders in a desperate attempt to escape all of those things.

But now, those quiet electronic beeps were becoming his friends, each tinny beep and clang a guarantee that Lyla's heart continued to beat. Jim held onto those sounds as if he could grip them like Lyla's hand, which he had refused to let go of until McCoy forced him to. The fluids pumping into her system to replace the blood she had lost caused her entire body to swell, including her hands, and it wasn't safe to place any restrictions on her skin, even the weight of his hand. A bandage covered her throat and the tube in her esophagus still looked painful. There was a physical ache in his gut when he looked at her, her destroyed and swollen body. Lyla shouldn't look like that.

"Jim, you should get some sleep." McCoy was standing on the other side of her bed again, wondering if he'd ever seen his friend look this lost before. "She isn't going to wake up for at least another eight hours and the last thing she'll want to see when she opens her eyes is you looking like complete shit."

Kirk couldn't stop the half-laugh that escaped and looked at his oldest friend, who looked just as haggard as he knew he must. "You always know how to sweet talk me, Bones."

"I'm trying to make sure you take care of yourself, not get into your pants."

Kirk laughed out loud. "Thank God for that. I've always been adventurous, but I think that's a little out of my league."

"As long as your adventures don't require medical attention, you could screw a Klingon for all I care. But right now, you're not taking care of yourself, and you are the Captain of this ship." He walked around the bed. "Doctor's orders: at least six hours of sleep, a shower, and a hot meal. Then you can come back."

Kirk stood and stretched, each vertebra in his back popping as he changed position for the first time in three hours. He hesitated at the thought that McCoy would see him, but stopped to brush the hair back from Lyla's head. "She's going to be alright, isn't she?"

"She's going to be fine. In a few hours even the swelling will go down. " He sighed. "But the hard part will be later. She'll have serious problems talking until her trachea heals itself fully and to be honest, I don't know if that scar is going to completely disappear. Putting a person's body into stasis is a last resort to save them, but there are a lot of side effects – hell, most of the time it doesn't even work. The body doesn't heal as quickly and scars are far more likely to remain."

"I don't think she'll really care." The sound of the Sickbay doors opening with a pneumatic hiss caused both men to look up and see Ensign Chekov looking nervous as he entered the room. "Chekov, what can I do for you?"

"Dr. McCoy called me, sir. I volunteered to sit with Lt. Stone, but he told me to come back later." He blushed. "Lt. Stone assisted me on a project while she was on board; I wanted to return the favor somehow."

"I think she'd appreciate that, Chekov." Kirk swallowed roughly. Lyla was on board his ship for a little less than a week and had made more than one person fall in love with her. He had accepted it now. In the nearly twenty-four hours that he had been keeping vigil by her bed in Sickbay, he'd come to accept the thought it had taken her near death experience for him to truly accept. She was an amazing woman who touched something deep within him that he thought was long buried. When she woke up, he was going to tell her he loved her, and they were going to figure out some way to make this accidental marriage work.

McCoy watched his friend wander out of Sickbay in a state of fatigue that rendered him almost a zombie and sighed. He looked at the unconscious woman in front o him. "You need to get better soon, because I can't take this wounded puppy act much longer." He glanced up and saw Chekov grinning at him. "WHAT?!"

The boy said nothing and sat down quickly, but his grin was still firmly in place.

******************

Lyla's eyes felt as if they weighed 100 pounds each. She could feel her body waking up, and the natural urge to open her eyes and look around, but she was struggling. Her brain felt fuzzy and numb, a sensation she was unused to. Light was beginning to stream in and she winced at the extreme brightness, as if she had not opened her eyes in days. A voice was murmuring in the background and she slowly began to recognize the feel of Jim's hand in her own. The familiar heat that generated between them was slowly creeping from her hand up her arm, warming her from the inside out – although the fuzzy feeling stayed. She cracked her eyes open and blinked, the room out of focus and bright.

"Stone, can you hear me?" McCoy's face swum hazily in front of her before coalescing into a solid form. She swung her eyes to the side, searching for and latching onto the face she most wanted to see. Despite the fact that he looked like he hadn't slept in a few days, Jim was smiling, his eyes warm, and she could feel all the love within her swell up.

Her throat hurt when she tried to speak and she coughed harshly. "Here, take a drink of this." McCoy was lifting her slightly while Jim tilted the cup of water to her lips, the cool liquid feeling like heaven against her throat. She tried to speak again but a shot of pain tore through her throat instead of words.

"Here. Use this PADD." Jim was holding the PADD up to her, and she typed quickly. _What happened?_

"Don't try to speak, Stone." McCoy glanced at Jim and she began to feel a bit of worry gnawing at her. "You suffered some major trauma to your throat and your trachea is still healing."

"Do you remember what happened, Lyla?" Jim's eyes looked at her, concerned, and in a flash it all came back. The image of Majel's insane face coming toward her, the brilliant shock of pain in her neck as she was attacked, the look on Jim's face even through the viewscreen as her body fell into Spock's arms. She felt her body spasm in shock and the men were holding her down, tears leaking out of her eyes, a silent scream in her throat.

"You're okay, baby," Jim was murmuring the same words over and over again, his face buried in her hair, his chin tucked between her shoulder and neck. "I've got you."

She tried to say his name and winced at the pain and silence. Her arms were so weak and all she wanted to hold him. He must have sensed this somehow, because he slipped his arms under her and lifted her up into a full hug, his body enveloping hers. She felt rather than saw McCoy slide back from the bed, giving them privacy. The feeling of his body around hers, giving her strength, it renewed her tears as she thought of what she had come so close to losing.

"Oh God, Lyla, I thought I would never see you again. I thought you were gone." His voice was broken, as if holding in his emotions, and she used the minimal strength within her to hug him tighter, burying her face in his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. He pulled his head back to meet her eyes and his right hand slid up to cup her cheek, her head automatically tilting to the side as her flesh instinctively sought the warmth of his touch. She forced her eyes open, though they were swollen from tears. He was gazing at her, his eyes bright as well, and he leaned forward, his mouth touching hers lightly, his other arm behind her holding her up. It was heaven, his soft lips against hers, his love pouring into her, her emotions surging back to him. He broke the kiss and pulled back, his arm going back around her. A lopsided grin emerged on his face. "Don't do that again, okay?"

She smiled tremulously and snuggled back into his chest, his firm body her grip on the world of the living. He began to lay her back and she protested silently. But he smiled and turned, sinking onto the bed with her, the space tight with two bodies. His arms pulled her close to him. She was sure that McCoy would yell at them, but the entire side of her body pressed against his was warm and comfortable, and she could feel his love for her, a tangible blanket of security. She decided she didn't care what Bones thought, and promptly fell asleep.

**************************

"Dr. McCoy." Admiral Pike was a little irritated that Kirk was not responding to his hails, but reminded himself the man was watching over a woman who nearly died. The shock of finding out that Kirk was suddenly married – KIRK – to the woman he rescued only days before had been shock enough. But to watch as the man who was a protégé, a colleague, a friend, had to see that same woman nearly die in front of him was enough to make anyone pause. He had never seen that expression on Kirk's face, and he knew just from looking around, that no one else on that ship had seen it before either. Pike had felt a sigh of relief through his whole system when it became known that Lyla Stone was going to recover, because frankly, if she had died, he wasn't sure Kirk would have recovered.

McCoy came out from his office in Sickbay, familiar scowl firmly in place. "What can I do for you, Admiral?"

"Have you seen Kirk? Admiral Barnett and I have been hailing him for almost 20 minutes and he's not responding. According to the computer, he's been here for the last few hours."

"The damn fool is over here." McCoy walked toward the back of the room, pulling aside a privacy curtain. Pike paused. Kirk was asleep, wrapped around his wife on a bio-bed, their bodies bound tightly around each other, his arms protectively securing her to him. "The only reason I haven't kicked him out yet is because I'm fairly sure it's the only decent sleep he's had in three days."

"I'm guessing she finally woke up?" Pike smiled in both relief and happiness.

"Yeah. Quite a bit of shock on her end when she remembered what happened, and she couldn't speak, but she was apparently well enough to kiss the idiot." McCoy was practically growling, but Pike could see that the man was fairly pleased. "I'm just glad that the stasis apparently didn't cause any permanent damage."

"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wake him up. We have to finalize a few things today – we should be arriving at Space Dock tomorrow."

"Not a problem." McCoy was shaking Kirk's shoulder before Pike even finished speaking, the young Captain mumbling sleepily and shifting away from the Doctor's hand, as if to escape the need to wake up. "Get up, you're not supposed to be sleeping here anyway."

"Bones. God, you really are a spoilsport." Kirk was rubbing his eyes and carefully extricating himself from his wife. "You're going to wake her up if you keep shaking the whole bed like that."

"She's out for the count. While you two were busy defiling one of my beds, I gave her another sedative. Rest is the best medicine for her now."

"If sleeping is all it takes to defile something in here, remind me to never…"

"Finish that sentence and the next time you're in here you won't make it out." McCoy was glaring, Kirk was smirking, and Pike couldn't resist the urge to smile.

"It's good to see you looking more rested, Kirk." The Admiral stepped closer to the bed. "I hate to interrupt your sleep, but we've got some final issues to take care of before we arrive at Space Dock tomorrow."

"I understand." Jim yawned wide, his mouth gaping. "Jesus, I didn't realize I was this tired."

"Not sleeping for three days will do that to you." McCoy was still muttering, but he handed him a cup of coffee from the replicator on the wall. "Here – caffeine. But when we get to Space Dock, you get a mandatory 24 medical leave period – where I expect you to be resting. Or I will drug you and handcuff you to a bed…..and if you make one joke about handcuffs right now I swear I really will kill you."

"Not a problem, Bonesy." He jumped up off of the bed, taking a deep drink from the cup and obviously enjoying it. "Any word from Betazed, Admiral?"

"All good things. Councilor Tamarin has fully recovered and has been installed as the Regent until Lwaxana reaches the age of majority. The Council unanimously voted yesterday to rejoin the Federation and issued an official thank you to Starfleet for removing the Klingon Armada."

"You're right, all good things." He began to move toward the door, but stopped suddenly. "If she wakes up, Bones……"

"I'll tell her we intercepted a shipment of Orion women and you ran off to play master of the harem."

"You're the best." He grinned and turned to Pike. "Let's finish this up, Admiral. My wife's going to be awake again in a few hours and I'd like to see her again."

******************

"Captain Kirk, it's good to see you looking so much better." Barnett was shaking his hand and Kirk grinned.

"I must have looked like real shit – you're the third person to tell me that in about five minutes." He sat down at the briefing table. "Admiral Pike said we have a few things to take care of. I'd like to get done as soon as possible and get back to my wife."

"That's actually one of the things we needed to discuss, Jim." Pike sat down next to him, Barnett following. "Lt. Uhura explained the situation to us regarding your marriage and Lt. Stone's plan to get you access to the Matriarch. It was fairly ingenious, but you know it's no officially binding according to Starfleet, right?"

"Maybe not." Kirk eyed the wall thoughtfully before continuing. "But I'm not letting her go that easily."

"Actually, that is part of the reason we wanted to talk to you today." Barnett looked a little uncomfortable, but plunged forward. "Somehow word of your marriage has gotten back to Earth and the media has gone a little crazy. You and the crew have been celebrities since the Nero incident, and apparently a smaller magazine in the Bay area ran the story. It was only a matter of hours before it spread across the globe and we've been fielding questions from Starfleet brass as to the validity of the claim."

"I'd be interested to know how that got out." Kirk was laughing. Starfleet had just managed to avert a major intergalactic crisis and the magazines were more interested in who he was or was not married. "And why the media feels that's more interesting than the war we just avoided."

"Well, that's just it, Jim. The brass is a little peeved that the information is over-shadowing the fact that a conflict was avoided with the Klingons and the PR people are latching on to the idea of Starfleet's most eligible bachelor falling in love like a cow to its mother's teat." Jim did laugh at Pike's turn of phrase. "You're going to be Starfleet's poster boy one more time."

"I did it before, I can do it again. Just the usual round of interviews, I'm guessing?"

"For the most part." Barnett peered at him. "They're interested in having Lt. Stone accompany you, if she's up to it."

"Absolutely not." Kirk was firm, every trace of his engaging smile gone now. "She's been through massive medical trauma and she can't speak yet. We have no idea how long it's going to take for her trachea to heal and her vocal capability to be rehabilitated. I'm not going to have her paraded as someone the world can pity."

"That's what I thought you'd say, but the question remains: do you and she plan to make this marriage official in the eyes of Starfleet?"

"That's up to her, Admiral. But I'm going to try and convince her it's a good idea."

"I pity any woman who ends up with you for a lifetime, Kirk." Pike smiled at him, the humor in his expression softening the sarcastic words. "But good luck."

"Moving on to less ridiculous things," Barnett looked relieved that portion of the conversation was over. "I'm sure that Chris told you the Betazoid Council has voted unanimously to rejoin Starfleet?" Kirk nodded.

"They've asked to officially recognize you and your crew, including Lt. Stone, as Heroes of the Betazoid Empire. At some point in the near future, you'll be making another trek out there for an official ceremony. At that point, Starfleet has also discussed having you officially escort the new Ambassador to Earth. Just a heads up for you – I'm guessing that will be within the next two months."

"What about shore leave for the crew and repairs for the ship? Between Majel and the Klingons we took a bit of a beating. I'd like to have the ship cleaned up before we head out, and I know Scotty would."

"Absolutely." Pike spoke up. "_Enterprise_ is scheduled for three weeks of space dock and the crew is authorized to take shore leave for up to two weeks. It's likely you'll be dispatched back to Betazed at that point."

"Sounds good. The crew could use the rest. Their last shore leave only lasted a few days."

"We know." Barnett slid a PADD across the table to him. "Here's your preliminary schedule for the first three days we're back. You're going to get mandatory 24 hour medical leave before they begin – McCoy's orders."

"All hail the mighty doctor," Kirk quipped, "Admirals tremble before his terrible wrath." He picked up the PADD and began to peruse. "Do I actually get time for shore leave in here?"

"After the debriefings and interviews. Stop saving the planet and you'd get more time off." Pike slid another PADD toward him. "This is the schedule for the transfer of Majel Troi to the surface. As you know, she's been under 24 hour guard in the brig. Once we dock tomorrow, she'll be sedated and transported by a fully armed escort to the surface, where she'll be incarcerated at Alcatraz Maximum Security Prison to await trial for the murders of Admiral Conway and Baril Troi."

"What about Councilor Troi?"

"The Betazoid High Council has requested his return to the planet to stand trial there. The final details haven't been worked out, but we're hoping to have him escorted on another ship." Pike sighed. "Dr. McCoy met with him yesterday and, frankly, the man's insane. I doubt that the High Council will be able to do anything with him besides lock him in a mental institution for the rest of his life."

"It's better than nothing," Barnett looked at Jim, "but less than I'm sure you'd like."

"As long as he's off the streets, I could care less. Majel's the one I want to see taken care of."

"I was glad to hear that Lt. Stone will be making a full recovery. We're adding an attempted murder charge to Majel's trial, although I doubt it will even be addressed with the overwhelming evidence we have on the other two charges. She's going to be in jail for the rest of her life."

Kirk set the two PADDs down on the table in front of him. "Is there anything else? Otherwise, I'd like to get back down to Sickbay."

"Starfleet Command has nominated Lt. Stone for the Federation Cross." Barnett stood, as did the other two men. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind telling that her commanding officers would like to recognize her bravery on not one but two separate occasions. Lwaxana Troi gave us a full briefing on what happened on Betazed once you were separated."

"That little girl is going to make an excellent Matriarch, once she grows up a bit." Pike smiled and stuck his hand out to shake Kirk's. "Good job keeping her safe so she can do just that."

"That was all Lyla, not me." Kirk grinned and turned toward the door. "But I'm happy to pass the message."

***********************

"Lwaxana sent you several messages." Kirk handed Lyla the PADD and sat back down in the chair next to the bio-bed. "I didn't read them, but she's been sending a couple every day."

Lyla smiled but did not speak. She attempted a half-smile, but couldn't help but look back at the mirror in her hand. Her fingers trailed along the vivid scar across her neck. She sighed and picked up the PADD to type.

_I know it's stupid, but I feel like that scar is the only thing people will see from now on when they look at me._

"It's not stupid." He stood up and slid behind her on the bed, arms coming around her. "I'm glad it's there."

She started and turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"Because it means you're still here. You're still alive and you're here with me." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the scar. She sighed and leaned her head back against his shoulder, his chin resting against hers.

"I should probably get up to the Bridge. We're due to arrive in Space Dock in an hour." She nodded and sat up to allow him to slide off of the bed.

"I'll be back soon." Kirk turned and began to walk away, but stopped and turned back to her, his face serious. "Oh….uh….there's just one more thing."

Lyla smiled and winced a little as the wound on her throat pulled a bit. Kirk stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled something small out, walking toward her and depositing it in her lap. She blinked once and forgot to breathe. Nestled in her lap, almost hiding among the folds of the blue blanket, a delicate diamond ring winked at her. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes and she furiously tried to blink them away before she looked up and saw the nervous expression on his face.

"Lyla, I promised myself that when you woke up I would tell you something." He leaned in tilted her chin up with his finger, until their eyes met. "Lyla, I love you."

Tears were openly streaming down her face now.

"I want to marry you. This time by our choice, not for political expediency." He swallowed and shuffled a little closer, hands stuffed in his back pocket. "That ring belonged to my mother. She gave it to me when I left the planet."

_I love you._ Her hands were shaking as she showed him the PADD. His hands were sliding the ring on her finger and he was smiling broadly. Jim surged forward and wrapped his arms around her, his lips whispering against her ear.

"I'm not letting you get away from me, Lyla Stone."

"Kirk." Her voice was still rough and her throat burned, but she pushed the words out. She felt his lips pull into a grin against her neck, his arms tightening around her even more. "Lyla Kirk."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the long delay in updating. I finally completed my international move so I can get back to the important things. Below is the final chapter. But a sequel is already in the works.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The wedding was short and to the point. Jim would have been fine with just holding it in Sickbay to accommodate the still-recovering bride, but Lyla was adamant that it take place on the Observation Deck and that she be allowed time to find a real wedding dress. He'd casually joked about a repeat of their nude ceremony on Betazed and Spock had to physically restrain Uhura from out-right launching a PADD at his head in front of the entire command staff. There were no flowery words or saccharine declarations of love, only two people standing in front of their friends stating their intention to remain one instead of two for the rest of their lives. Admiral Pike officiated, a face-splitting grin on his face the entire time. Uhura was more excited about the planning than the actual bride, and when McCoy found out he wouldn't have to wear a tuxedo or formal Starfleet dress uniform, he willingly offered to help organize the reception. But that became unnecessary when the entire Quartermaster staff offered to do so as a collective wedding present.

Barnett couldn't attend, but spent a full two days working out arrangements for Lyla's official transfer to the Enterprise. So it was three days after making space dock at the station orbiting Earth that Lyla walked down a make-shift aisle on the _Enterprise_'s observation deck to join her husband – as they were technically already married – her friends surrounding her. Sulu and Chekov both grinned at her from her right side and Scotty lifted a flask, already toasting the couple before the ceremony even began. McCoy had provided suitable pain relievers and she was glad she could smile without her wound pulling and speak without her throat killing her. Jim's face when she approached him, though, blinded her to the rest of the room, his intense eyes taking her in, telling her without words how he felt. Her bare hands slipped into his and she felt the familiar spasm of heat between them, his emotions bleeding into her consciousness. He had never said he loved her, but he didn't have to say it out loud. Everything they both felt was as obvious as if it were written in the sky. Stars twinkled in the observation window and Lyla vaguely heard Uhura sniffle as the ceremony began.

When he leaned forward to kiss her gently, she almost laughed. It was the most chaste kiss he had ever given her and she pulled back to wink at him and whisper, "You did better than that in Hydroponics."

His eyes twinkled and he grinned, before pulling her against him and kissing her like there was no tomorrow. Several wolf whistles later, he released her and she almost collapsed, her knees wobbly and her lips swollen, a silly grin on her face. They turned to face their friends, and now her fellow crewmembers, and Jim's mother – who was standing in the front row openly crying. Lyla glanced down at the ring on her left hand, sparkling in the starlight from the window behind her, and she smiled at her husband.

Pike leaned forward and grinned. "Enjoy the next two days of your honeymoon, because then you get to start debriefings and interviews."

Kirk mockingly scowled and then hauled her against his side, striding down the aisle toward the end of the room and the reception where everyone else was streaming. He promised her a dance, after all.

* * *

"The United Federation of Planets wishes to recognize Lt. Lyla Kirk for her heroic actions during the destruction of the Federation Space Station Suwayda and the Klingon invasion of Betazed. Lieutenant, please approach the stage." Barnett stood back from the podium as the crowd burst into applause, Lyla carefully standing from the front row of the audience and walking toward the stage. Kirk was whistling loudly, leading the entire crew as they cheered, and she grinned widely, flashing a smile at her crewmates as she mounted the steps.

"Lt. Kirk, it is with great pleasure that the Federation awards you the Federation Cross, for unparalleled bravery in the face of immediate death, and for the unselfish actions that saved the life of the sole remaining heir to the planet Betazed, one of the founding members of the Federation." Barnett shook her hand and pinned the medal to her uniform. Pike moved in next to him to shake her hand and leaned in for a hug as the cheering within the crowd surged to higher levels. Barnett stepped back to the podium and motioned for the crowd to quiet as they retook their seats.

"Additionally, Lt. Kirk, Starfleet Command is pleased to present you with this promotion to Lt. Commander." The crowd cheered again, but Barnett motioned for silence. "While officially this promotion is because of your heroic actions and deeds that epitomized what it means to be a Starfleet officer, Admiral Pike and myself are well aware that you deserve it simply for being willing to take on the role of wife to one of the biggest pains in the ass, Captain James Kirk."

The audience roared with laughter and Kirk grinned, bounding up the stairs to pin the new rank on his wife's uniform. She blushed bright red when he leaned forward and kissed her fully on the mouth in front of everyone, his eyes shining with mirth and the photographers going wild from the back of the room. He stepped back and let her step forward to have her moment of glory, one earned through sweat and tears and far too much blood for his liking.

* * *

Jim blinked as the bright lights above and in front of him were adjusted. The young woman in front of him was blonde, busty, and well-dressed in a blue suit that was a little too low cut for television – especially the serious news show that she was supposed to be interviewing him for. She smiled winsomely and he smiled to himself as he realized that only a few weeks ago he would have smirked right back at her in a very inviting manner. The reason for his current lack of interest, however, was settling into the seat next to him, her dark shining hair brushing against his shoulder. Jim could not contain his grin and the re-focusing of his gaze on Lyla. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the interviewer's pursed lips and realization that he was not interested in the smile she had been giving him earlier.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Lyla's voice was rough and still sounded painful. He had finally halted his natural inclination to flinch back at the sound, realizing that despite the sound, she was not in pain any longer. McCoy had assured them both that his bride was recovering at a normal pace. Her larynx had been severely damaged and the scarring on her throat was still a vibrant scarlet, but her body was recovering quickly. "I just needed something to drink."

"It's no problem, Commander Kirk." The blonde smiled at her, obviously over her depression at the thought that James T. Kirk was no longer available. Lyla grinned at him, still excited over the new rank and name.

"My name is Ariel and on behalf of the International New Agency, I'd like to congratulate you both on your recent wedding, not to mention your promotion Commander – and your triumphant win in the Battle of Betazed."

"Thank you." Jim stretched his arm across the seat behind his new wife. "But the win at Betazed was a joint effort on the part of many ships within the Federation. Every single officer who was present deserves your thanks."

"Of course, Captain. INA understands that the Battle of Betazed involved the largest deployment of Federation ships since the creation of the organization itself."

"That's right." Jim grinned. "Although I love a good fight as much as the next person, it was the Federation's show of force and the use of excellent diplomacy that diverted an outright war between the Federation and the Klingons."

Lyla grinned. "I wasn't present at the time, but I understand that Jim's version of "excellent diplomacy" was a little less diplomatic than others."

"There may have been more threats than diplomacy going on." Jim laughed. "But I had bigger things on my mind at the time."

"That's right." Ariel smiled. "Commander Kirk, we understand that you were being held hostage by Majel Troi during the battle."

"That's right." Lyla swallowed deeply. "I owe my life to Commander Spock and the other members of the _Enterprise_ crew."

"I understand that Majel Troi is now being held at the Alcatraz Maximum Security prison awaiting trial."

"You've probably heard more than us." Jim stretched his legs out in front of him. "We've been in debriefings for the last week. It's been tough to keep up with the news."

"Not to mention your wedding! I understand you two were married only two days after your return to Earth." Ariel's smile grew wider and Jim felt himself tense, wondering what her next question would be. "The rumor is that the two of you met only a week prior."

"That rumor is absolutely true." His bare hand automatically reached out to grasp hers and that familiar pull started. "I guess I know a good thing when I see it."

"You have to admit that it's a little unusual that one of the world's most eligible bachelors would meet and marry a woman in less than two weeks. Our viewers are quite interested."

"Well," Lyla's eyes met his and he swore the deep black was bottomless. "More improbable things have happened."

* * *

Jim took another drink and eyed the reception hall from his seat at the bar. It didn't escape him that he had been in this same position only a few weeks earlier – but his view on the world had been as different then as it could be. At the time, he'd been busy watching two of his senior staff and good friends celebrate their marriage. This time, Starfleet Command had gone out of their way to throw the party of the year – a party that was also doubling as a wedding reception, this time for his own nuptials. He grinned when McCoy slipped into the seat beside him.

"One bottle of Andorian ale," the doctor motioned toward the bartender and then slapped him on the back. "You don't look as pathetic as you did at the last reception we attended. Any more morose introspection?"

"Not morose." Jim picked up the glass in front of him and felt the familiar burn of the blue liquid.

McCoy barked a short laugh and took a drink from his own glass and surveyed the scene before them both. Scotty was leaning against the other side of the bar, three quarters of the way through a bottle of fine aged Scotch. A brunette from Astrometrics was leaning half against him and half against the bar, obviously having enjoyed a large portion of the Scotch herself. Uhura was cutting a rug with Sulu on the dance floor, her husband Spock enjoying the view from the side. Spock, McCoy knew, was not really a dancer, but he didn't begrudge his wife enjoying one of her favorite past times.

But Jim's eyes were on one woman and one woman only as she moved across the dance floor. Lyla's dark hair swung out behind her as Chekov pulled her across the dance floor – his own face split with a wide grin to match hers.

"I guess your time as a ladies man has finally come to an end. Generations of young cadets can sleep safer at night." McCoy took a long drink, but didn't look at the man sitting next to him. Kirk laughed out loud, his hand reaching out to slap McCoy on the back.

"You're absolutely right, Bones. I've only got eyes for one lady now."

"And you were so worried it was going to happen to you." McCoy grunted in irritation. "At least I don't have to listen to you whine like a little girl anymore."

"Nope, no more whining. But you know what this means, don't you?" Kirk grinned at him slyly, his eyes peeking out of their corners to look at him with humor.

"What?" McCoy knew enough to know that tone of voice was a dangerous one.

"I've got plenty of time now to find you a nice lady to settle down with." He laughed uproariously as McCoy choked momentarily on his drink, his eyes watering and his back hunched as he coughed violently. "How about that nice Nurse Chapel?"

"Maybe I'm waiting for my own woman to be trapped in a destroyed space station."

"Eh. Don't bet on it." He waved back as Lyla stopped smiled at him from across the room. "Those are one in a million."

"Oh, God." McCoy groaned, as if in pain. "You aren't a morose son of a bitch anymore. Now you're gonna be making goo-goo eyes at Lt. Stone and spouting poetry or some shit – aren't you? I don't even want to think about it."

"That's Commander Kirk, Bones."

* * *

The reception was finally winding down, and Lyla turned to him, her tired eyes indicating her willingness to leave. Kirk had appreciated the beautiful royal blue silk dress she'd been wearing, but he's also watched the fatigue creep up on her as the hours of the reception dragged on. Jim wrapped his arm around her shoulders and began to steer her toward the exit, waving goodbye to several senior officers who lingered around the room. The transport was waiting to take them back to the hotel and he sighed with contentment as Lyla settled her head against his once they sat down.

"How does it feel to be a Lieutenant Commander?" He squeezed her shoulder, his arm warm around her back.

"Not nearly as good as it feels to be a wife." She smiled at him with sleepy eyes and he was pleased that her voice was beginning to sound more like it had before the attack.

"I thought women didn't need to be a wife to be fulfilled." Jim teased her.

"I didn't say I was fulfilled."

"How about," he leaned over and pressed his lips against her ear, his breath warm against her skin and the tone husky, "if you were just filled?"

She shivered and her eyes opened, less tired than before. Her eyes were suddenly hungry and her hand rubbed the top of his thigh. "Is that a promise, Captain Kirk?"

"It definitely is, Commander Kirk. When we're able to, I'm going to spend one night learning all the things about you I didn't learn the first time."

"Then I guess I say," Lyla leaned even closer in, her breath on his neck, their arms beginning to wrap around each other in the back of the shuttle, "Dr. McCoy cleared me medically this morning for a return to duty." Jim froze at her words and leaned back to look her in the eye. Her gaze was dark with a promise and her lips parted slightly, breath heavier than only a moment before.

"Really?"

She smiled in response, and his lips slammed against hers roughly, the heat flaming between them, her hands gripping his shoulders as his arms went around her, pulling her flush against his chest. She moaned softly in the back of her throat and he pulled back, gasping violently as he remembered that they were still in the shuttle with the complimentary pilot in the front. He grinned at her and leaned in to press a wet kiss against her neck, smiling when she giggled. The shuttle was slowing and the pilot smiled wildly as he opened the door for them. There were two more photographers in the lobby that wanted a photo before they took the elevator to the top floor, and they stopped, even though he was raging inside to get her alone and naked.

As the door to the wedding suite swung shut behind them, Jim had her up against the wood, hands wrestling the fastening of her dress to the floor, her lips hungrily seeking his out and her hands pushing his dress jacket off of his shoulders. Fingers tickled his skin as she tore the dress shirt out of his pants. Silk pooled and slid, dropping to the floor, leaving her in only heels and panties, her skin flushed even in the pale moonlight and he paused to swallow heavily.

Her lips slowed and she gently kissed him, her hands coming up around his neck to slide into his hair. She resettled her mouth against his and kissed him deeply, his arms pinning her to the door, his hand tilting her head so that his mouth could slant even deeper across hers. She moaned low in her throat and he grinned against her lips as he felt her knees wobble slightly.

The bed flew up to meet them as they stumbled over and onto it, their laughter bubbling up together. Her laughter turned into a gasp as his lips trailed down over her throat, ghosting over her collarbone, to fasten on a nipple. Lips, teeth and tongue teased and tormented her, even as she pushed her upper body against him – wanting more of him, more of everything he was doing. His hands slid down her arms, sliding past her hands to grip her hips.

"Jim," his name was a gasp, her eyes rolling back into her head at the sensations pouring through her. He settled deeper between her thighs, his dress pants rubbing against her bare skin. He wanted to worship her body. This body that he had only explored for one night was now his to experience for the rest of his life – for as long as she would have him. Her hands smoothed across his shoulders, nails biting slightly and he shuddered, his hips pressing involuntarily against her center. "Jim, I think you're over-dressed."

He grinned and leaned back as her hands fumbled on the button and zipper, undoing the fastenings before pushing the pants down with her feet. Mouth lowering, he was set to resume his previous activity when her nails dug into his skin and his eyes moved up to meet hers. "We can do slow and tender later, Jim. It's been too long and I want you now."

Her bare hands were like hot coals on his skin and her desire was pouring into him. He shuddered and slipped his arms under her legs, lifting her up and opening her to him. With a groan of satisfaction and pleasure, he sank in – her answering groan spurred him on and he began to move slowly and deeply within her. His voice was a low groan but the words were heartfelt. "I've missed you, baby."

She was dimly aware that she was whimpering, but she couldn't find it within herself to care as she urged him to move faster and more forcefully within her. His hips snapped forward again and she cried out to him, "more."

The surge of their pleasure passed from one to the other in a never-ending feedback loop, and he sped up, leaning forward to capture her nipple with his mouth again. A sound that was definitely a muted scream came from her throat and he responded involuntarily, surging into her, arms pushing back to lift her legs higher.

He was deep within her and she wanted more – always more. Lyla urged him with her hips to go faster and deeper – to mark her as his. His mouth moved from one breast to the other and bit down.

The tremors started deep within her and she felt his rhythm stutter as he felt her body shift and clamp down on his. He surged again and she exploded. She would swear later that her vision went black and all she could see was a kaleidoscope of colors behind her eyelids as her orgasm washed over her.

* * *

The stars were bright in the window of their hotel room, and even though they were something he saw every single day when in space, Jim couldn't help but look up at them from where he lay against the cool sheets. Lyla was breathing deep and slow beside him, her pale body wrapped in the black silk material, her hair fanned across his chest, and he took a moment to run his fingers down the cream-colored skin of her back. She shivered slightly and pulled in closer to him. He pushed his fingers through her hair.

"You okay, baby?" She mumbled, her eyes still closed, her mouth moving next to his skin where she lay.

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep." She didn't respond, already lost to her dreams again. And Jim realized he was fine – better than fine. For the first time in a long time, he was truly happy.

THE END

This story may be finished, but Jim, Lyla, and the other members of the Enterprise have many adventures in the future.


End file.
